Men need not put up with overactive bladder

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

There are many ways of dealing with the problem of an overactive bladder, say urology experts.
Overactive bladder is defined as the need to urinate more than eight times a day or more than twice during the night. It can really interfere with quality of life and is sometimes accompanied by urgency, where leaks and 'accidents' occur, which is distressing and embarrassing. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic say that men do not have to put up with overactive bladder, as help is available.

The first step is to find out the cause of overactive bladder. It occurs when the bladder's detrusor muscle contracts while the bladder is still filling up, triggering the urge to empty. Enlarged prostate is just one cause; overactive bladder can be a consequence of neurological damage from diabetes, stroke or Parkinson's disease, and it is also linked with urinary tract infection, urinary stones and bladder cancer.

The physician may help the patient retrain an overactive bladder. Medication may help too - recent research has suggested that a combination of tolterodine and tamsulosin leads to significant improvement. There is much you can do to help yourself with overactive bladder- avoid substances which make it worse, like caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and tomatoes. Avoid constipation as this places pressure on the bladder and do pelvic-floor exercises, which will strengthen bladder muscles.

Source
Cleveland Clinic Men's Health Advisor March 2007

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