Addressing Overactive Bladder in Men and Women with St. Pete Urology

Key Takeaways:

  1. Overactive bladder is a common condition affecting both men and women.
  2. There is a stigma surrounding overactive bladder that deters individuals from seeking treatment.
  3. St. Pete Urology is a medical practice that offers treatments to alleviate the discomfort of overactive bladder and improve patients’ quality of life.

Understanding the Overactive Bladder Predicament

Consider this: Your plans, whether you’re attending social gatherings or even mundane tasks such as grocery shopping, are dictated by the proximity of a restroom. An overactive bladder, a common condition affecting both sexes, has made you its hostage. As summarized by Dr. Nicholas Laryngakis, a board-certified Urologist with St. Pete Urology in St. Petersburg, FL, “the bladder becomes more sensitive and reflexive as we age, leading to some people having a lot of frequency and urgency and even leakage of urine called incontinence.” This not only hampers your physical comfort but also drastically alters your quality of life.

Men and Women: Equally Affected

This condition is not exclusive to women, as is often mistakenly assumed. Men too are victims of it. This false narrative that “women are the only ones that lose bladder control as they age” needs to be rectified. Men may need to undergo further evaluations to ensure that a prostate issue isn’t at the root of their condition.

The Stigma Around Overactive Bladder

This is a condition that often stays unaddressed due to the sensitivity and stigma surrounding it. Many people live in discomfort, limited by their ailment as they are deterred from seeking treatment. According to Dr. Laryngakis, “A lot of people are concerned and it is a sensitive area so they don’t always seek treatment…”. What is crucial in this context is the creation of a safe and confidential environment that allows individuals to comfortably discuss their predicament.

How St. Pete Urology Can Help

At St. Pete Urology, a compassionate team of professionals led by a board-certified Urologist, Dr. Laryngakis, works tirelessly to help patients regain control of their lives. The medical team prides itself on having open and confidential conversations with patients, aiming to soothe their apprehensions and create a space where they can freely express their concerns.

In the quest of addressing overactive bladder, you’re no longer alone. With an array of treatments available, St. Pete Urology aims to alleviate your discomfort, ensuring that you no longer feel the need for constant reassurance like the use of a pad or diaper.

St. Pete Urology, based in St. Petersburg, FL, is not just a medical practice. They are your allies in combating the challenges that come with an overactive bladder. In their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life, they strive to create an environment where patients feel comfortable discussing their intimate medical issues. So, break free from the burden of an overactive bladder and regain the freedom to live your life fully. Reach out to St. Pete Urology today — your journey towards a healthier, happier, and more confident you begins here.

References:

  1. St Pete Urology. (2013, March 28). An Overactive Bladder Overview | St Pete Urology. St Pete Urology. https://stpeteurology.com/what-is-overactive-bladder/
  2. Elad Leron, Weintraub, A. Y., Salvatore Andrea Mastrolia, & Schwarzman, P. (2018). Overactive Bladder Syndrome: Evaluation and Management. 11(3), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1159/000447205
  3. Overactive bladder – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. (2022). Mayoclinic.org; https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355721
  4. Overactive Bladder. (2016). Medlineplus.gov; National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/overactivebladder.html

Transcription:

Hi, I’m Dr. Nicholas Laryngakis, board certified urologist with St. Pete Urology. Inflammatory bladder is a very common disease process that occurs to both men and women. So as we age, often the bladder becomes more sensitive and reflexive, leading to some people having a lot of frequency and urgency and even leakage of urine called incontinence. And that really affects their quality of life because they’re always having to go to the bathroom and don’t feel comfortable going out into the world without some sort of reassurance such as a pad or a diaper even unfortunately in some people. So there is a lot of treatments we have to help patients with that. A lot of people are concerned and it is a sensitive area so they don’t always seek treatment but here at St. Pete Urology, we’re very open with patients, we have confidential conversations and try to help them with these kind of problems. That women are the only ones that lose bladder control as they age but it can occur in men. Often men have to be evaluated a little further to make sure it’s not a prostate issue.

Why Do I Pee So Much

Key takeaways

  • The frequency of peeing can be used to monitor overall health and anticipate certain problems. A regular peeing rate and volume occur when a person is well-hydrated and there is no undue pressure on the pelvic floor, bladder, and kidneys. A normal range is 5-8 voids in 24 hours and no more than twice at night if over 60 years old.
  • Nocturia, or frequently peeing at night, can be caused by decreased production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) with age or a lack of production in children. It can also be caused by drinking too much water, taking diuretic medications, untreated diabetes, urinary tract infections, or an overactive bladder.
  • It is important to speak with a medical professional if experiencing frequent or urgent peeing as it can be a symptom of underlying health issues.

Peeing can be an inconvenience when it gets more frequent and urgent.

The good news is that you can use your frequency of peeing to monitor how your body works. You can use it to assess your overall health and anticipate certain problems.

What is considered normal when it comes to peeing?

A regular peeing rate and volume occur when you are well-hydrated. There is no undue pressure on your pelvic floor, bladder, and kidneys. It means that you can anticipate when and how frequently you visit the bathroom.

When healthy, a good peeing range is 5-8 voids in 24 hours. At night, you shouldn’t wake up more than twice to pee if you are over 60 years old. When you pee more than eight times in 24 hours, that could mean that you have an overactive bladder.

The amount of urine you pass depends on how much fluid you drink, how big your bladder is, and how much urine your body produces.

Your body makes roughly 3 liters of urine each day. If you have a normal, healthy bladder,  you can hold 300-400 ml of urine (approximately 2 cups). The urge to pee should generally start when your bladder has 150ml of urine (just over half a cup).

What is nocturia?

Peeing frequently at night is called nocturia. It means you have to wake up more than once a night to go to the bathroom.

The body usually produces more anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) at night, which prevents your kidneys from filtering and releasing water until you wake up. With normal ADH, you shouldn’t have to struggle to hold urine through your sleep.

However, ADH production decreases with age. That is why older adults are at higher risk of nocturia than younger adults.

ADH takes more time to be produced in children. That is why children below six years tend to wear diapers at night because they can’t hold pee overnight.

What causes peeing too much?

  1. Drinking too much water

The more fluid you drink, the more urine you make, and the more frequently you need to pee. You can tell if you are drinking enough by checking the color of your urine. If your pee is light yellow to clear, then you’re taking in enough fluid.

But if your pee is always clear and you spend a lot longer in the bathroom, then you are probably drinking too much. Though drinking too much fluid isn’t dangerous, you can ease the amount to reduce your visits to the toilet.

  1. Accidental or therapeutic use of diuretics

Diuretic medications help your body to get rid of excess fluid. The drugs work by prompting the kidney to be more permeable to sodium. This allows more sodium in the urine, which draws more water out of the blood into urine, lowering your blood pressure.

Diuretics are used as medications for high blood pressure. You should expect to pass urine a lot more when on these medications.

Drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda can act as diuretics, increasing your peeing frequency.

  1. Untreated diabetes

Untreated diabetes means a continually high level of glucose in your blood. Since your kidneys can’t handle the re-absorption of this extra glucose, it is excreted in the urine.

The presence of glucose in your urine draws additional fluids along with the glucose, resulting in an increased peeing rate. And as you lose more fluids, your body becomes dehydrated, and you feel thirstier than usual. You will end up drinking and peeing a lot more.

  1. Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria enter via the urethra and multiply anywhere in your urinary tract. As the bacteria multiply, usually in the bladder, inflammation, and irritation increase the urge to pee.

In some cases, the bladder can become inflamed without an infection. This type of inflammation results in a chronic condition called interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome, which is more common in women.

  1. Overactive bladder

Characterized by a sudden urge to pee that you can’t control, an overactive bladder occurs when signals from the brain fail, causing bladder muscles to want to squeeze out urine when it isn’t full.

This condition is an urge-related form of urinary incontinence, wherein suddenly you feel the need to pee, but not much comes out.

Overactive bladder is more common in people with neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or a bladder abnormality like bladder tumor.

These diseases tend to cause damage to the nerves that tell the bladder muscles when to contract.

  1. Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a condition where muscles that close off the urethra become weak, causing stress-inducing urinary leakage. The leaks may occur when you’re sneezing, coughing, or during strenuous exercise.

Incontinence may be due to pregnancy and childbirth, which weaken pelvic floor muscles.

Additionally, lower estrogen levels after menopause can also cause tissues to deteriorate in the urinary tract, resulting in incontinence.

  1. An enlarged prostate

For men with an enlarged prostate, there may be a constant feeling of needing to pee.

The growing prostate puts pressure on the urethra. It blocks the flow of urine, making the bladder work harder to expel the urine. The leftover urine can become a breeding ground for bacteria and lead to inflammation, further messing with the bladder.

  1. Pregnancy

When pregnant, blood volume increases, and the kidneys have to work through the excess fluid. This means that more fluid ends up in the bladder, and you can pee too much.

Increased frequency of peeing starts in the first trimester and gets worse in the subsequent trimesters.

What are the solutions to frequent peeing?

Frequent peeing can be reduced by cutting out bladder irritants from the diet. You can do so by avoiding alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, citrus, and spicy foods.

You should also quit smoking and lose weight. And drink most of your fluids earlier in the day to avoid trouble at night.

Peeing too much can be treated using medications. You can take medications that relax the bladder and its nearby muscles, such as antidepressants imipramine (Tofranil) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).

You can also get a Botox injection into your bladder. This will give temporary relief by paralyzing the muscles and blocking the chemical messenger acetylcholine, which sends signals to your brain to trigger abnormal bladder contractions associated with an overactive bladder.

Anti-cholinergic drugs, such as Oxybutynin, also block acetylcholine.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is also ideal for stress-related incontinence, like pregnancy-linked incontinence.

But when incontinence occurs after menopause, estrogen creams may help by restoring the tissues near the urinary tract.

Bladder training is effective in controlling frequent peeing. It involves trying to go longer and longer without peeing over time.

For instance, if you go every hour, you can extend that time by 10 minutes for some days. Then keep adding on 10 minutes until you find yourself holding your pee for a longer period.

Safe, effective treatment of urinary incontinence

If you are peeing too much, you should see a urologist to determine the cause and degree of incontinence you have.

At St Pete Urology, we’ve helped many patients recover from leaky bladders through our tailored treatments.

Our solutions include behavioral therapies, pelvic muscle rehabilitation, incontinence devices, medication, Botox injections, and surgery. Our doctors have vast experience in diagnosing urinary incontinence and in providing the most appropriate treatments.

References

Signs of Bladder Problems

Bladder problems are very common and can range from mild issues like a urinary tract infection to life-threatening conditions such as bladder cancer. It is important to be aware of your bladder health and symptoms that can indicate a problem so you can seek prompt medical treatment when needed.

Problems With Urination

Urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are both common problems that affect millions of people every year.

If you experience leaking urine during activities like coughing, laughing or bending over; if you feel sudden, strong urges to go to the bathroom but do not always make it in time; or if you wet the bed at night, you may be suffering from a bladder issue causing urinary incontinence. It is important to discuss these symptoms with your doctor, who can help find solutions so you enjoy a better quality of life.

If you are experiencing a burning sensation during urination, a frequent urge to go, cloudy urine or a fever, you might have a UTI. A physician can determine the best route to deal with it, most likely involving antibiotics, to clear up the infection before it can spread to the kidneys and become more serious.

Pain In The Bladder

If you have been experiencing issues with the urinary tract for more than six weeks without signs of an infection, and if there is also pain and a feeling of pressure in the bladder area, you might be dealing with interstitial cystitis. This is a chronic health condition that can range from mild to severe. Every case of IC is different, so your doctor will work closely with you to reach a diagnosis and determine a treatment plan.

Warning Signs Of Bladder Cancer

The first sign of bladder cancer is usually blood in the urine, also known as hematuria. Sometimes the blood is not visible and will only be noticeable during urinalysis performed as part of a physical exam. Other times, enough blood may be visible to tint the urine pink, orange or dark red. Blood in the urine also can be a symptom of other serious issues such as kidney stones or an infection.

Other signs of bladder cancer can include indications of less severe bladder problems, such a frequent urge to go, a burning sensation during urination, or difficulty relieving yourself. Symptoms of more advanced bladder cancer include an inability to urinate, lower back pain, swollen feet or bone pain.

Whenever you experience new symptoms or difficulties with your urinary system, it is important to contact your doctor as soon as possible. The urologists at St Pete Urology are here to help with bladder problems of all kinds so you can live your happiest, healthiest life. For more information, visit the St Pete Urology website.

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