Do you think you’re suffering from a weak bladder? If so, you need to check out this handy blog post and get some practical advice on how to handle your condition. Click here for more information!
If you consistently get the sudden urge to urinate, you might be struggling with an overactive bladder.
The need to urinate can be hard to control, and because your bladder is weak, you could end up with urinating at times and places you don’t want to.
Dealing with a weak bladder can be embarrassing, and a common result of an overactive bladder is isolating yourself so you don’t have to spend time with other people. But odds are, there’s a reason for your weak bladder, and a visit to the doctor could get you the right treatment.
There are also several things you can do on your own at home to help strengthen your bladder.
Keep reading to learn about the causes of an overactive bladder and what you can do about them.
Symptoms of Overactive Bladder
Just because you urinate frequently doesn’t mean you have an overactive bladder. There are a few other things that go along with it.
Here are a few signs that might mean you have a weak bladder:
- Experience an urge to urinate that you have trouble stopping
- Involuntary loss of urine right after feeling an urge to urinate
- Urinate more than eight times in a 24 hour period
- Wake up more than twice a night to use the bathroom
Though you may be able to get to the bathroom in time for many of these urges, constant urinating (both during the day and at night) can be difficult to manage. An overactive bladder can disrupt your life if you can’t always make it to the toilet in time.
What’s Causing the Problem
When you have an overactive bladder, the muscles in your bladder involuntarily contract even though there’s only a small amount of urine inside. This contraction is what gives you the sudden urge to urinate.
But an overactive bladder isn’t necessarily its own problem.
For example, an overactive bladder could be caused by any of the following conditions:
- Diabetes
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol or caffeinated drinks
- Acute urinary tract infection (which causes similar symptoms)
- Strokes, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological disorders
- Trouble walking (can cause bladder urgency if you can’t quickly get to the bathroom)
- Tumors, bladder stones, or other bladder conditions
- Enlarged prostate, constipation, or other abnormalities that obstruct the outflow of your bladder
- Incomplete emptying (when a bladder doesn’t empty fully, you can experience overactive bladder symptoms because you don’t have a lot of storage space in your bladder left over)
- An increase of urine production caused by medications
If you’ve experienced any of these other conditions, your overactive bladder may be a result of another problem. That’s why it’s always important to visit a doctor about your overactive bladder.
Other Problems of an Overactive Bladder
When your overactive bladder becomes a major disruption for your life, you can experience other complications.
These complications could include things like:
- Depression
- Emotional distress
- Sleep disturbances or interruptions
- Anxiety
In some cases, dealing with these additional complications can help you control your weak bladder as well. Your doctor might address associated conditions as a way to treat your overactive bladder.
When to See a Doctor
Remember, suppressing urges to urinate (or being unable to control your urination) isn’t normal.
You may think your bladder has gotten weaker because of aging, but even growing old doesn’t do that to your bladder.
In other words, there’s something else causing your overactive bladder.
You should visit a doctor (click here to learn more: https://www.urologygeorgia.com/) as soon as the symptoms start to disrupt your normal life. Having trouble going to work or being with other people are both signs you should schedule an appointment with your doctor.
The right treatment plan can help you.
It might be embarrassing to talk to your doctor about your weak bladder, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid seeing them. It might be uncomfortable at the moment, but the results can help you in the long run.
Natural Remedies for an Overactive Bladder That Might Help
You should always see a doctor about your weak bladder symptoms, but there are also many things you can do on your own that might help you control your overactive bladder.
Doing these things may reduce the symptoms of an overactive bladder.
1. Stop Drinking Diuretics
Diuretics are things like alcohol, coffee, soda, and other caffeinated drinks. These drinks stimulate bladder function and give you the urge to urinate.
If you’re struggling with an overactive bladder, drinking even small amounts of alcohol or caffeine makes the problem worse.
Cutting these out of your diet entirely will give you the best results. But if you can’t get by without your coffee, drink it in the morning. This will keep you from getting out of bed throughout the night.
2. Drink Water
This sounds backward, but your body needs to stay hydrated. If it doesn’t, your urine becomes diluted and more irritating for the bladder. This could actually make the urge to urinate stronger.
But you don’t want to drink too much water either.
Keep it to about eight 8 ounce cups of water every day. To avoid using the bathroom during the night, stop drinking at least four hours before bed.
3. Do Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises consist of squeezing and relaxing your PC muscles repeatedly (the ones that hold in your urine). Strengthening those muscle can help you lower the urge to urinate and control the urges.
As soon as you feel the need to urinate, squeeze your PC muscles and hold it for 10 seconds. Then use the bathroom like normal.
4. Find Ways to Reduce Your Stress
The nerves in your brain directly connect with the nerves in your bladder. So feelings of stress or anxiety can lead to overactive bladder symptoms.
Finding ways to reduce your stress can, in turn, help you control your weak bladder.
Dealing with a Weak Bladder
When you’re dealing with a weak bladder, it can be easy to stay in your house so you’re never too far away from a toilet. But isolating yourself isn’t going to help. As soon as your symptoms disrupt your normal life, you should visit a doctor.
Is your struggle with anxiety contributing to your overactive bladder symptoms? Take a look at this guide that’ll help you eliminate anxiety.
