Why is InterStim Therapy Effective against Overactive Bladder?

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to urinate, a frequent need to pass urine during the day and night, accidental urine leakage, and inability to get to the bathroom in time due. This condition greatly affects quality of life by having life revolve around uncontrollable urination problems. Those afflicted avoid social functions due to fear of urine leaks, foul smell and embarrassment, wake up too many times at night to urinate, stay home to avoid public shame, or reduce food and liquid consumption to avoid triggering bladder spasms. While there are several treatment options for OAB that include medications and pelvic floor exercises, a number of patients either do not respond to these treatments or find them intolerable. For such patients, InterStim therapy offers the best hope for controlling the bladder, relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.

How Does the InterStim Procedure Relieve Overactive Bladder?

InterStim therapy is a proven, minimally invasive treatment for overactive bladder. It helps to relieve the symptoms of OAB by delivering electrical impulses to the sacral nerves (found in the tailbone area), modifying abnormal reflexes in the pelvic and sacral nerves of the pelvic floor and bladder, and altering abnormal communications between the brain and bladder. The InterStim device is implanted under the skin around the location of the sacral nerves (upper buttock) so that mild electrical impulses are generated for stimulating the sacral nerves, correcting malfunctioning nerves and improving bladder control. In fact, InterStim therapy interrupts the abnormal signals transmitted in people with overactive bladder and reduces episodes of urinary incontinence.

Why is InterStim Therapy Effective against Overactive Bladder?

Unlike other therapies, the effectiveness of InterStim therapy can be assessed by physicians and patients through a test evaluation stage before commitment to long-term therapy. Roughly 80% of patients who undergo test evaluation have a successful response and can proceed to have the InterStim device implanted. According to studies, patients with successful trial stimulation will experience 50%-90% improvement in overactive bladder symptoms after the implant has been placed. In fact, people with overactive bladder have reported significant improvements in the number of incontinence episodes per week, with the majority of patients being completely free of incontinence after InterStim therapy. There is also a major reduction in the number of times patients urinate per day after treatment, while almost all patients report improvement in quality of life after InterStim procedure.

InterStim therapy is minimally invasive in nature and completely safe and reversible. Therefore, the patient can discontinue it any time it fails to meet expectations. It also does not prevent the use of alternative treatments and can easily be combined with any other treatment for a better outcome. If you or your loved one is suffering from overactive bladder and find other treatments ineffective or intolerable, do not hesitate to ask your urologist about InterStim therapy. For more information on treating urological problems, visit St Pete Urology.

Debunking 4 Myths about Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is an embarrassing condition affecting more than 200 million people globally. Characterized by bladder leakage, painful urination, strong urge to urinate and incomplete emptying of the bladder, the condition can negatively impact the quality of life of affected individuals by restricting their ability to participate in various activities. Riddled with several misconceptions and accompanied by considerable stigma, bladder leakage is a highly misunderstood condition that even those affected do not want to talk about. Yet by debunking some of the myths associated with the condition and establishing a clearer understanding of the problem, affected individuals can get on the right track for healthy and happy bladder management. Here are four of the more common myths about urinary incontinence:

Myth 1: Only the elderly experience urinary incontinence.

Even though the risk of urinary incontinence increases with age, virtually any person can experience incontinence at any stage of life. For instance, bladder weakness typically affects 1 in every 3 women above the age of 18 with many young women experiencing sensitive bladder symptoms after pregnancy and labor. Urinary incontinence can also result from an enlarged prostate, nerve damage, weakened pelvic muscles, medical conditions such as obesity, onset of menopause in women due to a drop in estrogen levels, infection, and as a side effect of certain medications.

Myth 2: Reducing fluid intake reduces urinary incontinence.

Limiting fluid intake may sound like a brilliant idea since drinking plenty of water increases the frequency and urgency of urination. However, it has been shown that drinking adequate amounts of fluid in small doses throughout the day helps to prevent leakage. In fact, severe limitation of fluid intake can make urine more concentrated, increasing the risk of bladder irritation and worsening urinary incontinence. Drinking enough water also helps to reduce odors. Doctors recommend that you sip water between meals, avoid fluids for two hours before bed, and reduce or avoid citrus juices, caffeine, carbonated beverages and alcohol.

Myth 3: Surgery is a necessary treatment for urinary incontinence.

While surgery is one effective treatment for incontinence, it comes with more risks than other treatment options. For instance, invasive surgical procedures such as sling surgery and retropubic suspension have associated risks such as difficulty urinating and worsened incontinence. Therefore, affected individuals should always be offered the option of trying nonsurgical treatment first and only opt for surgery when nonsurgical options fail. In fact, for most people, simple lifestyle changes, medications for relaxing the bladder and treating urinary infections, medical devices like pessaries, weight loss, dietary changes, and pelvic floor muscle exercises provide considerable improvement in symptoms. Surgery should only be considered as a last resort.

Myth 4: Delaying urination strengthens the pelvic floor.

While many think that delaying going to the bathroom can help to strengthen the pelvic floor, the truth is that this can overstretch the bladder, resulting in a flaccid and dysfunctional bladder. Therefore, for a person living with urinary incontinence, it is important to avoid actions that may weaken your bladder and instead seek immediate medical treatment. Remember, urinary incontinence may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition that requires a prompt visit to a urologist. So stop living quietly with urinary incontinence and thinking that you can crudely wish it away. Talk to your doctor about what could be causing the problem and what might be the best individual treatment option for you. For more information on managing urinary incontinence, visit the St Pete Urology website or make an appointment for a consultation with a urologist.

What is Overactive Bladder?

It is easy to guess what the term “Overactive Bladder” means. The bladder is generally associated with the containment of urine until it is passed out of the body. An overactive bladder results in the frequent, involuntary or unexpected release of urine and can cause someone to avoid social interactions they would normally have enjoyed.