Overactive Bladder

The most common symptoms of overactive bladder are frequent urination, urgency to urinate, and nocturia (waking up at night to urinate).

Overactive bladder can be caused by a variety of factors, including neurological disorders, bladder infections, and hormonal changes.

Risk factors for developing overactive bladder include age, gender (women are more likely to experience overactive bladder than men), and obesity.

Behavioral therapy, such as bladder training and pelvic floor exercises, is the first-line treatment for overactive bladder.

Medications that can be used to treat overactive bladder include anticholinergics, beta-3 agonists, and mirabegron.

The most common side effects of anticholinergic medications include dry mouth, constipation, and blurred vision.

The most common side effect of beta-3 agonist medications is headache.

The most common side effect of mirabegron is constipation.

Surgical treatments for overactive bladder include bladder augmentation, urethral sling, and sacral neuromodulation.

The prognosis for overactive bladder depends on the underlying cause. In most cases, overactive bladder can be managed with lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy, and medication.

Lifestyle changes that can help manage overactive bladder include losing weight, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and doing Kegels exercises.

Behavioral therapies that can help manage overactive bladder include bladder training, pelvic floor exercises, and biofeedback.

The goal of bladder training is to increase the amount of time between urinations, reduce the urgency to urinate, and decrease the amount of urine leaked.

To do Kegels exercises, contract the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds, relax the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds, and repeat 10-15 times, 3 times a day.

Biofeedback is a therapy that uses sensors to measure muscle activity. In the case of overactive bladder, biofeedback can be used to help patients learn how to control their pelvic floor muscles.