Patients with an overactive bladder may feel the need to urinate often, usually over eight times per day. The urge to urinate is often sudden and can sometimes difficult to control.
For example, if one suddenly gets the urge to urinate, they may have a hard time holding it until they can reach a bathroom. Not being to hold it means that patients are at risk of getting urge incontinence and releasing a little urine when they sneeze, laugh, or do physical activity. However, this frequent urge to urinate is not just during the day. Patients with an overactive bladder may be woken up in the middle of the night with these urges, known as nocturia.
Patients at Affiliated Urologists may need a urinalysis to rule out the possibility of infection and find out if the patient has hematuria (blood in the urine). In order to confirm the diagnosis of overactive bladder, our physicians may need to conduct other tests to measure the urine flow rate and pressure of the bladder. While most patients develop overactive bladder due to a bladder obstruction, usually as a result of an enlarged prostate, it can also be caused by poor kidney function, urinary tract infections, and many other conditions. Our physicians are excellent diagnosticians and will work to find the cause of the overactive bladder so patients can proceed to treatment.
Our team may start off by prescribing the patient medication that will help relax the bladder. There are a number of different bladder relaxants that our physicians recommend. The patients should be sure to specify all supplements, vitamins, and prescription medications they are taking during his or her visit so the physician can prescribe medication that will not interfere with current prescriptions.
If medication does not work, there are other treatment options that can be performed at Affiliated Urologists. For example, the patient may be a candidate for Botox injections in the bladder. The FDA approved Botox as a treatment for overactive bladder in 2013 and this medication has been helping patients control their bladders ever since. The bladder injection is another way of relaxing the bladder, but unlike medication, Botox allows the treatment to be put directly into the bladder. When the bladder is tense, it squeezes up and has less space to store urine. The Botox allows the bladder to relax and have more capacity.
In more severe cases, sacral nerve stimulation and surgery could be needed to treat overactive bladder. Our team may try medication first, but if the patient is still experiencing symptoms of overactive bladder, they should come into our clinic so one of our physicians can talk to them about more aggressive treatments.
Affiliated Urologists is an award-winning practice recognized both locally and nationally that has provided service to patients in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and surrounding communities in the Valley, for over 40 years. The physicians emphasize top-of-the-line comprehensive urological care and strive to deliver the highest outcomes for patient satisfaction. To make an appointment, call 602-264-0608 or visit http://affiliatedurologists.com/contact/ for instructions on scheduling an appointment.
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
