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Do you find yourself running to the toilet more often than usual during the day or waking up in the middle of the night to go there? Frequent urination can be more than just annoying and annoying. It could also indicate an underlying medical condition.
An overactive bladder (OAB) can cause a sudden, strong urge to urinate that is difficult to control. You may feel the need to go to the bathroom even when your bladder is not full, resulting in frequent trips to the bathroom.
The exact cause of OAB is not always clear, and certain medical conditions or treatments may contribute to urinary urgency, urgency, nocturia, or OAB-like symptoms.
Although overactive bladder is more common in older adults, it is not considered a normal part of aging. Treatment can help improve your symptoms and quality of life.
Here are five medical conditions that can contribute to OAB-like symptoms or worsen OAB symptoms.
1. Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke, can contribute to or worsen OAB. Reduced blood flow to the bladder (bladder ischemia) can lead to low oxygen levels in the bladder tissue, which can lead to nerve damage and hypersensitive muscles.
Medications used to treat these diseases can also play a role. Diuretics (“water pills”), commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, can increase urine production, potentially resulting in a frequency and urgency that can mimic OAB or worsen a pre-existing overactive bladder. Other medications such as calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and ACE inhibitors can also contribute to frequent urination.
2. Kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be associated with changes in urination, including urinating more or less than usual, especially if kidney function changes.
Medications for CKD or conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, such as diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors, can increase your body’s urine production and potentially worsen OAB symptoms.
3. diabetes
Diabetes can significantly increase the risk of OAB. High blood sugar levels can cause diabetic neuropathy and affect the nerves that control the bladder. Over time, nerve damage can result in a weak bladder that cannot store or empty urine properly.
Excess glucose in the bloodstream can also cause the kidneys to produce excessive amounts of urine, increasing the urge and frequency of urination.
Some diabetes medications, such as SGLT2 inhibitors and, in some cases, metformin, may also contribute to OAB symptoms. For example, SGLT2 inhibitors may help flush excess glucose (sugar) and water into the urine, causing more frequent urination.
5. Neurological disorders
Neurological diseases—including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, dementia, and spinal cord injuries—can cause OAB-like symptoms due to neurogenic bladder, a disorder of your bladder caused by damaged nerves.
A neurogenic bladder occurs when an injury or illness disrupts the electrical signals between the nervous system and the bladder. The disruption may affect how the bladder stores or empties urine.
Depending on the specific condition, symptoms such as urinary urgency, urgency, incontinence, or difficulty emptying the bladder may occur.
Neurological diseases can affect bladder function:
- Parkinson’s disease may increase urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia (waking up two or more times during the night to urinate).
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) can damage the brain and spinal nerves and possibly cause spasms of the bladder muscles (detrusor overactivity).
- stroke may affect bladder control.
- dementia can disrupt the brain-bladder connection, impairing awareness of the need to urinate.
- Spinal cord injuries can completely disrupt bladder signaling.
Some medications used to treat symptoms of neurological disorders—including anticholinergics, opiates, narcotics, antihistamines, and alpha-adrenergic agonists—may also contribute to or worsen bladder symptoms by affecting bladder emptying.
When should you seek help for an overactive bladder?
If you think a medical condition or medication may be contributing to overactive bladder symptoms, contact your doctor. They may be able to adjust your treatment plan or recommend additional medications to relieve symptoms.
In addition to medications, various lifestyle changes can be helpful, such as:
- Do Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- Limiting foods and drinks that may irritate your bladder, such as: B. caffeinated or carbonated drinks
- Controlling fluid intake
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking
- Wear absorbent pads or protective underwear if necessary
This educational resource was created with the support of Sumitomo Pharma, Inc
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