– While it is more commonly seen in women, it can also occasionally occur in men.
– Symptoms include frequent urination, waking up multiple times at night to urinate, a strong urge to urinate, and sometimes urinary incontinence.
– These patients do not experience pain related to urination.
Who is Affected?
– Overactive bladder affects 30% of women and 11% of men, with sudden urinary incontinence being more common in women.
– It is one of the top 10 chronic diseases that significantly impair quality of life.
– Fecal incontinence occurs in 50% of patients with overactive bladder.
Symptoms:
– Urinating more than eight times a day.
– Sometimes feeling an urgent need to urinate but not making it to the bathroom in time.
– Urinary incontinence when approaching home or the bathroom (incontinence when nearing the target).
– Feeling an urgent need to urinate when hearing running water.
Diagnosis:
– Important considerations include tremors, erectile dysfunction, constipation, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, heart arrhythmia, and lithium use.
– Urodynamic testing is not necessary for diagnosis.
– To diagnose this condition, it is essential to rule out:
– Urinary tract infection
– Hidden or overt bladder cancer
– Urinary tract and/or bladder stones
– Sexually transmitted infections
– Vaginal infection
– Excessive fluid intake
– Use of diuretic medications
– Cirrhosis
*Note:* It is important to confirm that none of the above factors are present.
How Do We Treat Overactive Bladder?
First-Line Treatment:
– Restricting excessive fluid intake.
– Encouraging weight loss if the patient is overweight.
– Symptoms significantly decrease in patients who lose weight.
Second-Line Treatment:
– Exercises taught by a urology specialist.
Third-Line Treatment:
– Botulinum toxin (BTX) injections into the bladder.
Fourth-Line Treatment:
– If the patient does not respond positively to any of the above treatments and symptoms do not decrease, bladder augmentation surgery is performed as a last resort.