Understating Overactive Bladder
The medical definition of overactive bladder is defined by MedicneNet as: “A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency – an immediate unstoppable need to urinate."
Overactive bladder affects about 9% of adults, and becomes more common as we age. Overactive bladder is different from other forms of urinary incontinence by its suddenness. This issue can often cause a great deal of embarrassment, as the suddenness of the need to urinate can happen anywhere, at any time. Overactive bladder issues can cause people deep emotional challenges, as they worry about leaving their house, or being somewhere that is not close to a bathroom. Often people with overactive bladder won’t want to be on buses, trains, go for long walks or hikes, or generally restrict their lives around the availability of a bathroom.
Many cases of overactive bladder can lead to the need to wear adult diapers and pee liners & pads, which is another embarrassing and uncomfortable thing for people to have to experience.
Here are the symptoms of an overactive bladder:
- Frequent urination – Defined as 8 ore more times each 24 hour period. Peeing A LOT!
- Urinating directly after an urgent need to urinate – also called urinary incontinence – Unable to hold your pee to get to a washroom
- Waking up in the night two ore more times to urinate – No good sleeps with an overactive bladder!
- Having the need to urinate come on suddenly and with little control. Needing to pee right now!
Why do we get Overactive bladder?
- There is no one cause of overactive bladder. Here are some of the more common reasons:
- Hormonal changes during menopause can increase the chance of overactive bladder.
- Reduced cognitive function (typically due to aging) that can reduce the impulses sent from your bladder to your brain – If you don’t get the signal from your bladder to your brain, you won’t “know” you have to pee.
- Abnormalities in the bladder – Such as bladder stones, or bladder tumors.
- Strokes, Alzheimer's disease and diabetics are also reasons you may develop an overactive bladder.
Having an overactive bladder sucks!
An overactive bladder leads to many physical challenges – decreased sleep by needing to get up several times a night. The biggest challenge for many people with an overactive bladder is emotionally. The stress caused by an overactive bladder is significant. It can lead to depression and significant anxiety, embarrassment, and all kinds of emotional distress in dealing with overactive bladder symptoms.
Our YoniFlex pelvic floor trainer may be able to help you reduce your overactive bladder. Here is how:
Stronger Pelvic Floor muscles – Stronger pelvic floor muscles will give you more bladder control. Pelvic floor muscles weaken through pregnancy, child birth, menopause and as we age. Keeping your pelvic floor muscles strong can help reduce overactive bladder.
If you are looking for a tool you can use in the comfort of your own home to improve your overactive bladder, we recommend trying YoniFlex.
NOTE: We are in the final testing stages of our YoniFlex pelvic floor trainer – Please add your email address to our notification list and you will be notified the moment our YoniFlex becomes available for purchase.
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