Overactive bladder: don’t remain silent, treat it

An overactive bladder, sometimes also referred to as a nervous or irritable bladder, is characterised by frequent and severe urges to urinate that are difficult to suppress even though the bladder is only partly filled. The constant urge to urinate forces sufferers to more frequent toilet visits, sometimes at intervals of 1 to 2 hours. These symptoms can severely impair sleep, as they often continue at night. The urge to urinate, which cannot be suppressed, can also result in involuntary leakage of urine. Doctors refer to this as urge incontinence. The cause of urge incontinence is a bladder storage dysfunction: the bladder muscles contract, which cannot be controlled voluntarily, even if there is only a small amount of urine in the bladder.

• Hormonal changes
  Every major hormonal change in a woman’s body also affects the functions of the bladder/pelvic floor system. This affects women during the menopause as the oestrogen levels drop.
• Psychological factors
  The highly sensitive interaction between the nervous system and the bladder muscles can be upset by psychological factors. Factors such as stress, nervousness or the strains of everyday life can favour the development of bladder problems.
  
• Frequent urinary tract infections
  With repeatedly occurring urinary tract infections, the bladder becomes constantly irritated. The pathogens start to live in the bladder and can repeatedly trigger infections. Even after the infection has cleared, the bladder is often more sensitive to irritation.