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Medically Written By: Dr. Wagener
Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is defined by an urge or strong desire to urinate. It can create urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and cause you to wake up at night to go. Some patients will also experience incontinence or a loss of urine while trying to make it to the bathroom. This is called urge incontinence (UI). People with this condition often know where all the bathrooms are when they go out and may have to plan their activities around their bladder habits.
There are dietary changes that may help. Caffeine, alcohol, and acidic fruits can all make your symptoms worse. Physical therapy can help as well. Some patients with OAB have high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction and need to work on relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, and this is best done with a physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapy. There are oral medications that can help by relaxing the bladder muscle.
There are advanced therapies for OAB to consider for people not improving or not tolerating first-line therapies. This includes Botox injections, which relax the bladder muscle. Finally, there is neuromodulation, which treats the abnormal nerve signals from the lower back or sacrum that can cause the bladder to contract when you do not want it to.
Dr. Wagener encourages you to speak with your primary care provider about any symptoms you may have or seek a physician who treats overactive bladder syndrome.
If you are have any further questions or concerns, our expert team of OBGYNs are here to support you. Call us at (920)749-4000 to schedule an appointment or learn more.