In my daily outpatient practice, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and urinary incontinence are common awkward issues for patients. Whenever such symptoms appear, I can always feel the patient's uneasiness and distress. In this article, I will share with you some basic knowledge about bladder problems and how to improve these symptoms in some simple and effective ways.
I remember one time, a middle-aged lady came to my office in a hurry, with obvious anxiety on her face. She told me that despite trying her best to avoid drinking water, she still felt the urge to urinate and even experienced embarrassing incontinence in public. This not only affected her social life, but also severely damaged her self-confidence. Through a series of diagnoses, we found that her symptoms were partly due to an overactive bladder. With targeted medication and lifestyle modifications, her condition has improved significantly.
The main symptom of bladder dysfunction
Urinary urgency
Urinary urgency is a sudden, strong urge to urinate that often makes people feel the urgent need to use the toilet as soon as possible. This sensation can be caused by an overactivity of the bladder wall, and sometimes there is a feeling of need to urinate immediately even if there is not much urine in the bladder. Triggers include cold weather, hearing running water, or drinking a lot of stimulant beverages such as coffee and alcohol.
Frequent urination
Frequent urination refers to an abnormally increased frequency of urination, which is generally 4 to 6 times during the day and up to 1 to 2 times during the night, but people with bladder dysfunction may significantly exceed this range. People with frequent urination not only need to go to the toilet frequently during the day, but may also get up multiple times at night, which seriously affects the quality of sleep. This symptom is often related to dietary habits, especially excessive intake of diuretics such as tea, coffee, and certain medications.
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the inability to voluntarily control urination, which can be the result of an overactive bladder or weakened pelvic floor muscles. Urinary incontinence is not only physically uncomfortable, but is more likely to limit social activities, as they may reduce social or outing activities for fear of embarrassing situations.
Understanding how these symptoms manifest is essential for early recognition and treatment of bladder problems. If you or someone close to you has any of the above symptoms, it is recommended to consult a professional doctor in time for proper diagnosis and treatment. In the following sections, I will detail how to manage or prevent these symptoms with simple adjustments in your daily life to ensure bladder health.
Prevention and self-management strategies in everyday life
Dietary advice
Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables: Fiber-rich foods can prevent constipation, which can increase bladder pressure, leading to frequent urination and urgency.
Limit irritating foods and drinks: Coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, and spicy foods may irritate the bladder and increase urgency and frequency. Minimize your intake of these foods and see if there is an improvement.
Maintain adequate fluid intake: While excessive fluid intake may cause frequent urination, drinking plenty of water can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and keep urine diluted.
Lifestyle habits
Proper urination schedule: Setting a regular time to urinate, such as going to the bathroom every two to four hours, and trying to urinate even if you don't feel the urge to urinate, can help train your bladder.
Avoid over-suppressing the urge to urinate: When you feel the urge to urinate, try not to hold it. Holding urine for long periods of time is not only detrimental to bladder health, but may also increase the risk of urinary tract infections.
Weight control: Being overweight or obese can put extra pressure on the bladder and exacerbate urinary incontinence problems. Maintain a healthy weight with a sensible diet and regular exercise.
Strengthens pelvic floor muscles
Kegel exercises: This exercise strengthens muscles by contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. Doing several sets of Kegel exercises a day can significantly improve urinary incontinence.
How to do it: Tighten the muscles used to control urine flow for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times for three sets per day.
By implementing these simple strategies, you can significantly improve the health of your bladder and reduce awkward urinary urgency and incontinence. This not only improves the quality of life, but also boosts one's self-confidence.
Treatments and procedures
drug therapy
Anticholinergics: These drugs can help relax the bladder muscles and reduce the urge to urinate. For example, oxybutynin can be taken once a day to help control symptoms of urinary urgency.
β-receptor agonists: These drugs can increase the bladder's ability to store urine and reduce urinary frequency. Mirabegron is a commonly used option to take 25mg per day, and the dose can be adjusted according to your doctor's guidance.
Behavioral therapy
Pelvic floor muscle training (Kegel exercises):
Find the pelvic floor muscles: Try to interrupt the flow of urine during urination, and the muscles you feel are the target muscles.
Contract muscles: Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds. Make sure you breathe smoothly and avoid holding your breath.
Continuous training: Do three sets of 10-15 reps per day.
Urination schedule: Establish a regular urination schedule based on your frequency, such as going to the bathroom every 2-4 hours, regardless of the urge to urinate.
Surgical treatment
Neuromodulation therapy: for patients who do not respond well to medications and behavioral therapies. A small device is implanted to stimulate the nerves that control the bladder.
Sling surgery: For severe urinary incontinence, unintentional urine is prevented by placing a support strap around the urethra.
These treatments should be carried out under the guidance of a medical professional to ensure that the most suitable treatment option for the individual's symptoms and health condition is chosen. If symptoms persist or worsen, the doctor should be seen promptly to adjust the treatment strategy.