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Overview of Overactive Bladder
What
is Overactive Bladder (OAB)?
Overactive bladder is a condition defined
as the urgency with or without urge incontinence
, usually with frequency and nocturia. It may cause urinary
frequency and urgency with or without leakage of urine (incontinence).
About 2/3 of the people with OAB are not incontinent.
OAB is a common problem that affects more than 33
million Americans and is more common than diabetes or asthma alone.
It is more common in women than men, and the rate occurrence increases
with age.
There are 2 Sub-Types of OAB:
- Detrusor instability or unstable bladder – involuntary
bladder contractions that occur without a known cause
- Detrusor hyperreflexia – involuntary
bladder contractions are due to nervous system diseases such
as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease
Symptoms may include:
- Frequency –
frequent need to urinate
during the day (more than eight times in 24 hours) or night (more
than two times a night)
- Urgency –
a strong and sudden urge to urinate
- Urge Urinary Incontinence – involuntary loss of urine
following a strong need to urinate
- Nocturia - waking up one or more times during the night to urinate
Types of Incontinence
Urge
- An urgent need to urinate with leakage
of the urine
- Uninhibited relaxation of the urinary
sphincter
- Detrusor hyperactivity with impaired
bladder contractions
- Caused by
– unexpected bladder contractions (detrusor instability)
Stress
- Loss of urine occurs with coughing, sneezing,
laughing, a change in position, or some exercises
- Occurs during the day
- More common in women than urge incontinence
- Caused by –
urethral sphincter failure with or without increased intra-abdominal
pressure
Mixed
Overflow
- An urgent and frequent need to urinate
- Frequent or constant
dribbling of urine
- Caused by – detrusor does not contract
or is under active
Reflex
- Urine loss occurs without an urge to urinate
- Caused by – detrusor
hyperreflexia
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