If your daily schedule is dictated by frequent and sudden urinary urges that leave you scrambling for the nearest bathroom, and you haven't already been to see your doctor -- it's time to make an appointment to get your overactive bladder treated.
Whether you see a primary care doctor, internal medicine practitioner, urologist, or gynecologist doesn't matter. What does matter is that you get help for symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequent urination, waking up often during the night to urinate, and urge incontinence (abnormal bladder contractions that cause uncontrolled leakage of urine).
A lecture hall, the theater, a ballgame: if the setting is crowded, incontinence is a hassle. Many people avoid those events. Others get crafty in devising their exit plans. "People can be very strategic," says Roger Dmochowski, MD, a urologist and director of the Vanderbilt Continence Center in Nashville, Tenn. "It's amazing how good some people are at estimating their bladder problem. They have a fairly good idea of the time frame they're working with. They try to make it through the challenging...
Treatment is important because an overactive bladder can seriously interfere with activities, says Donna Y. Deng, MD, MS, a urologist and associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco who also serves on the board of directors at the National Association for Continence.
People may need to pull off the freeway immediately to find a restroom, or map out every public bathroom before they run errands. Some people are afraid to leave their homes and become isolated. “People really redefine themselves,” Deng says. “They really plan their lives around the bathroom. It’s definitely a great detriment to quality of life.”
In some cases, the urge is so strong that it overrides the urethral muscles that help control leakage from the bladder, and people can’t reach a toilet in time. “There’s very little warning time,” Deng says.
Talking About Overactive Bladder
Talking about such personal issues can be uncomfortable, but worthwhile, experts say. “Patients often don’t volunteer information,” says Tomas L. Griebling, MD, MPH, professor and vice chair of the department of urology at the University of Kansas and a faculty associate in the Landon Center on Aging.
Tell your doctor about overactive bladder problems, he says. “There are usually things that we can do to try to help people.”
Voiding Diary
When you start treatment for OAB, your doctor might ask you to keep a voiding diary. The diary can help your doctor see what symptoms you're having, and evaluate how well your treatment is working. In your diary, record when you urinate each time, how much urine you pass, whether you leak and how much leakage you have, what you were doing when the leakage occurred, and what/how much you drink and eat each day.
Questions Your Doctor Will Ask You
Your doctor will ask several questions to determine the cause of your bladder problems and find the right treatment.
- How often do you urinate each day?
- How much liquid do you drink each day (with meals and between meals)?
- Do you leak urine? Do you leak urine when you sneeze, cough, or exercise?
- Do you feel an urge when you have to urinate or have a sudden urge to urinate at inappropriate times? Do you have to rush to the toilet and sometimes not make it?
- How many times do you get up at night to use the toilet?
- Does it ever hurt or burn when you urinate? Does your urine have a bad odor, contain blood, or appear dark yellow or concentrated?
- If you wear pads, are there a few drops of urine in the pad or a bladder-full?
- Does your incontinence prevent you from participating in work or social activities?
- How often do you have a bowel movement? What’s the consistency of your stools? Are they easy or hard to pass?
source : OAB and Talking with Your Doctor
