ADVICE FROM HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING: WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT AN OVERACTIVE BLADDER?
Answered by Dr. Howard E. Lewine
M.D. Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 40 years of experience · USA
An overactive bladder often causes urge incontinence, the overwhelming feeling that you need to empty your bladder can be followed by leakage before you make it to the bathroom. The most common treatments for urge incontinence include: • Lifestyle modifications. Avoid drinks that can irritate the bladder (caffeinated drinks, sodas, and alcohol) and schedule regular bathroom breaks. If you wake up at night to urinate, try to reduce fluids for an hour or two before bed. Managing constipation can also reduce urge incontinence. • Pelvic floor exercises. A trained pelvic floor physical therapist can help you learn to effectively squeeze and release the muscles near your bladder so you can retain urine until you can reach the bathroom. • Medications. Anticholinergic medications, such as oxybutynin, inhibit the tightening of the bladder muscle; sympathomimetics, such as mirabegron, increase bladder capacity.
→ Learn more about overactive bladder: See the causes, symptoms, treatment options and more.
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Disclaimer: This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors, and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.
2024-04-27T14:13:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd