Suffering from Overactive Bladder or Incontinence?
Regain Control of Your Bladder with Cape Urology’s Overactive Bladder Clinic
Cape Girardeau Urology’s Overactive Bladder (OAB) Clinic offers specialized care for individuals diagnosed with overactive bladder, providing personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs. The clinic aims to enhance the quality of life for those experiencing bladder control issues.
At our OAB clinic patients can expect:
⦁ Specialized Care: The clinic is dedicated to addressing the specific needs of individuals with overactive bladder, ensuring that treatment plans are tailored to each patient’s unique situation.
⦁ Customizable Treatment Plans: Treatment plans are designed with the individual patient in mind, taking into account factors such as medical history, lifestyle, and preferences. This personalized approach increases the likelihood of successful outcomes.
⦁ OAB Nurse Navigator: An OAB nurse navigator serves as a dedicated point of contact for patients, guiding them through every step of their journey, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
Learn more about how the OAB Clinic works to help patients
What is Overactive Bladder?
Overactive bladder (OAB) occurs when the detrusor muscle of the bladder contracts more often than necessary, even when the bladder is not full, causing frequent, urgent urination, and even incontinence (the uncontrollable loss of urine). OAB is NOT a normal part of aging.
Overactive bladder can be treated with behavior modification changes in diet and medication. If these treatments do not work or cannot be used, surgical treatments are available.
Learn more about the bladder and how it works from Dr. Galati.
Symptoms of Overactive Bladder
⦁ Frequency: the need to urinate often
⦁ Urgency: the sudden, uncontrollable need to urinate
⦁ Urinary Urge Incontinence: uncontrollable loss of urine
Learn more about incontinence in this video from Dr. La Scola
⦁ Nocturia: the need to urinate often at night
Learn more about nocturia in this video from Dr. Ogles
Diagnosis of Overactive Bladder
Diagnosing OAB typically includes a comprehensive evaluation that may include the following steps.
⦁ History: A detailed medical history including symptoms, frequency, duration and severity. They may inquire about urinary habits, fluid intake, medication use, past medical conditions and any factors that may contribute to bladder symptoms
⦁ Physical exam: A physical examination may be performed to assess overall health and check for any signs of conditions that could contribute to bladder symptoms.
⦁ Voiding Diary: Patients may be asked to keep a voiding diary which involves recording details about their urination habits over a period of time. Learn more about keeping a voiding diary from OAB Nurse Navigator Ashley Tilley
⦁ Urine Sample: A urine sample may be collected and analyzed to check for signs of infection, blood or other abnormalities that could contribute to urinary symptoms.
⦁ Cystoscopy: In some cases, a cystoscopy may be recommended to visually examine the inside of the bladder and urethra. During this procedure, a think flexible tube with a camera (cystoscope) is inserted via the urethra allowing the healthcare provider to inspect the bladder lining for abnormalities.
⦁ Urodynamic Testing: Urodynamic testing involves a series of diagnostic tests to evaluate bladder function and assess how well the bladder and urethra are storing and releasing urine.
Overactive Bladder Treatment Options
⦁ Behavior modification: Limit bladder irritants including certain foods and drinks that can irritate your bladder or urinary tract. If you have OAB this can increase your symptoms that are already bothersome. Identifying their triggers can provide a natural and independent way to control your symptoms. Find a list of foods that can be bladder irritants here.
Hear more about bladder irritants from Dr. Galati
⦁ Constipation management: Correction of bowel dysfunction is an important part of normal urination, as the bowel and bladder share a common nerve pathway. Normal bowel function should include a soft, fluffy bowel movement every day or every other day. Learn more about OAB and Constipation.
Hear more about Constipation from Dr. Scola
⦁ Timed voiding: Scheduled bathroom trips can reduce frequency, leakage, and urgency by retraining your bladder. Learn more about OAB and Timed Voiding.
Hear more about Timed Voiding from Dr. Ogles
⦁ Pelvic muscle training: The pelvic floor muscle support the uterus, bladder, small intestines, and rectum, playing an important role in their function. Learn more about pelvic muscle training.
⦁ Weight loss and Smoking cessation: Weight loss has been proved to reduce urinary frequency and incontinence by 50%. Smoking irritates the bladder and can lead to frequency urination. It can also increase your risk of bladder cancer. Learn more about weight loss and smoking cessation.
⦁ Medication: Beta 3 agonists and anticholinergics are medications used to help control the bladder. Learn more about Overactive Bladder medications.
Hear more about the side effects of these medication from Dr. La Scola
⦁ Botox: injected directly into the bladder muscle in order to block the nerve signals that trigger OAB. Learn more about Botox Treatment.
Hear more about using Botox to control OAB from Dr. Galati
⦁ Sacral neuromodulation or Interstim: An implantable device that uses gentle nerve stimulation to correct the bladder-brain communication pathway and improve bladder function. Learn more about Interstim Treatment.
Hear more about sacral neuromodulation from Dr. Ogles