As Bladder Health Month continues, we’re taking a closer look at bladder health. While we do not agree that loss of bladder control is a normal part of aging, we do know that aging is a risk factor for waning bladder health. There are often signs that signal declining bladder health. Here’s what to know.
Signs of Declining Bladder Health
Declining bladder health often begins to manifest as bladder leakage. Most common in females, the earliest signs are those that we associate with coughing, sneezing, lifting, or jumping, all of which begin leading to a small amount of bladder leakage. This is commonly referred to as stress incontinence. It’s very common among females who have had previous children and given birth years or decades earlier. The symptoms at that point can be fairly mild, but they can become more bothersome with time. For some people, the symptoms advance until they become quite disruptive to daily life. People find leakage begins occurring even in the absence of the stress of coughing or lifting. Wearing liners can become wearing pads and eventually, diapers.
Another way in which waning bladder health may manifest for some people is an overactive bladder. This problem most commonly manifest as the need to get up in the middle of the night and empty the bladder, what doctors call nocturia. Daytime increased frequency is often tolerable at first but can become problematic if it interferes with plans. Usually, the person begins to notice that the amount of urine that’s being voided is really not all that much, so it’s more a matter of the bladder having spasms or not tolerating the same full volume that it once did. Even though the bladder is not very full, the nerve signaling tells the body that the bladder is full and that it needs to be emptied, waking us up and sending us to the bathroom. It might begin with once a night but it for some people can become quite disruptive, advancing to 4, 5, 6, or 7 times a night. Very difficult to good a good night’s rest!
For both men and women, the problem of nighttime voiding can interfere with sleep and restfulness. For men, the problem often starts with the slowly enlarging prostate. It eventually begins to partially obstruct the outflow of urine, which then can have effects on the bladder muscles themselves. For both men and women, there are additional conditions that can damage or aggravate the bladder, including prior surgery, radiation, medications, infection, or other health conditions. Conditions of the nervous system like multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson’s can also affect the complex innervation and signaling required to have normal voiding. Sometimes frequent urination is an indication of high blood sugar being eliminated in the urine and may be the first sign that a person has diabetes. Symptoms such as burning with urination, cloudy urine, frequent urination, incontinence, or blood in the urine should all be investigated by a doctor.
The Takeaway
Slow progression of bladder leakage and nocturia are surprisingly common, but these symptoms have good treatments today. If you’re wondering whether you’re experiencing symptoms that indicate declining bladder health, contact the Nevada Surgical team today. Our experienced team can answer questions and offer recommendations for next steps. It’s important to understand that there are successful treatment options, and you don’t have to adjust your life to accommodate incontinence. Contact our team today!
