Spastic Bladder | Symptoms, Treatment and Home Remedies
The spastic bladder is also called an overactive bladder. Bladder spasms are usually caused by the involuntary contraction of bladder muscles, and it affects around 40 million.
Despite many treatments given to cure overactive bladder, symptoms remain uncontrolled in several cases.
It’s caused by bladder muscles being too tight and not relaxing. The symptoms consist of frequent urination, with the person seeking to find a toilet to relieve him or herself every 15 minutes or so and much more possible pain than needed.
People who suffer from a spastic bladder have problems with concealing it, and they may hope to never find themselves in the situation where they’re around people while having to relieve themselves.
If you are suffering from a spastic bladder, this article will give you some advice on how to help yourself.
Spastic Bladder Symptoms
- The main problem is urinary incontinence as a result of unstable bladder contractions with no urine left in the bladder.
- A person who has a spastic bladder may develop urgency, the sudden desire to urinate that is well before it is expected.
- It can cause frequent urination, which could result in a feeling of having to go constantly or leakage of urine. Bladder spasms are accompanied by pain, and blood in urine can be present too.
It can restrict a person’s life, as he/she is not able to enjoy the usual activities and social occasions.
This condition may lead to infections due to incomplete bladder emptying and frequent urination.
A lot of women suffer from the spastic bladder during pregnancy or postpartum period. It is also common in elderly people when there are changes in muscle activity.
It is also a common result after suffering from urinary tract infections (UTIs), prostate surgeries, and other bladder or nervous system disorders.
The main cause that causes spastic bladder is lack of coordination between the neurological signals sent to the bladder by the spinal cord and brainstem – that controls automatic movements like muscle contractions.
Spastic BladderTreatment
Bladder spasms can be treated with medications that relax the bladder muscles and improves coordination between nervous system signaling.
The best treatment for treating overactive bladder syndrome consists of medication, biofeedback therapy, surgery, or combining these treatments together.
Doctors often prescribe anticholinergic drugs such as oxybutynin and tolterodine. But they can cause side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, or worsening of confusion in people who already have dementia. To be avoided are medications that relax the bladder muscles like DMSO compound glycerol.
If you don’t want to use medications, then you can try biofeedback therapy. This therapy will help you learn how to become aware of your body’s signals and train your pelvic muscles to relax muscles using special equipment that can sense muscle activity in the bladder.
Surgery may be a surgical procedure is called sacral nerve stimulation, which involves the implantation of a device in the lower spinal cord. The device sends electric pulses through two long wires that attach to an implant in the sacral area of the spine. In this way, it stimulates and reinforces pelvic floor muscles with electrical stimulation in order to prevent bladder contractions.
Home Remedies To Treat Spastic Bladder
Below are some home remedies for spastic bladder.
- Drink a lot of water – your body is 75% water, and it will help keep you hydrated, which in turn will help flush the toxins out of your body that has built up. Drinking more water helps prevent future problems as well. It’s important to stay well hydrated.
- Drink a lot of cranberry juice – the cranberries have medicinal properties and help flush your urinary tract, which will give you more relief.
- Stay away from coffee, soda, and other sugary drinks – these things are actually the cause of increased bladder problems in most people because sugar increases the acidity in your body, and when you urinate, it will leave behind acid that will sting the bladder.
- Before going to sleep, drink a glass of warm milk – this has natural sugars in it that help relax your body and muscles, along with calcium which is good for your bones. Milk also is said to have properties that can help flush your bladder if it has had to work harder than usual. Your body will like this treatment because you are giving it a natural cure that is helping heal the spastic bladder. Milk can also help people who suffer from insomnia and sleep disorders, so in addition to treating your bladder problems, you will be able to get more restful sleep.
- Never eat spicy foods – the spicier the food, the more likely your bladder will be overdeveloped and prone to spastic problems. Spicy foods can irritate your intestinal tract as well as making you have diarrhea, which is not good for treating your condition. If you can’t avoid spicy foods, try cutting them down or eliminating them entirely from your diet.
- Wear loose clothing – tight pants and shorts can actually tighten your pelvic muscles, causing them to contract and trigger bladder spasms. Wearing clothes that are too tight can make the problem worse. Loose-fitting clothing will help you feel relaxed and comfortable while relieving some of the tension in your legs as well.
- Avoid coffee before bed – coffee is a diuretic that will dehydrate you and make matters worse.
- If you are overweight, try to lose the weight – your bladder may be trying to tell you that you have gained too much weight, which is putting pressure on it. If you don’t watch it now and start treating yourself better, this condition could get worse over time.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables. These are things that your body needs to function properly, along with the minerals you need. Eating right can help prevent bladder problems as well, so you should eat healthy most of the time instead of eating junk food all the time.
- When you sneeze or cough, do so into your elbow – don’t let it spray all over the place where others will inhale it and possibly get sick themselves. Be careful not to spread your cold around like this. If you can’t help it, then at least try to cover your mouth and nose, so you aren’t spreading it too far.
- Take a hot bath – the heat will help relax your muscles and relieve tension in them. You should also add some Epsom salt to the water, which can help ease inflammation that may be causing pain or discomfort.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks – they actually make spasticity worse instead of better because it increases muscle tension and causes convulsions in some people. If you avoid these things, there is a better chance that you will see some improvement.
Exercises for Women with spastic bladder
- Squats – Squats can be done anywhere, and this exercise is excellent for the entire body. Even if you see no improvement in your bladder, you will benefit from doing squats regularly. Do hold on to a wall or chair when first starting these to make sure that you are doing them correctly and not hurting yourself. To do squats, stand with your legs shoulder length apart, feet facing forward. Slowly lower yourself as if you are sitting down in a chair – make sure that your knees are not over bent and don’t let them come up above your ankles. Squat as low as you can and hold for a few seconds, then raise yourself back to the starting position. Do at least ten of these.
- Strengthening exercises – Several other strengthening exercises can help with bladder control. They include pelvic tilts, hip raises, and Kegel exercises.
- Pelvic tilts: Pelvic tilts are done lying on your back with both knees bent up towards your chest. Start off slowly by lifting one of your hips off the mat, hold it for a second, and then lower yourself down. Next, do the other side so that both hips are up at once. Gradually build up more and more until you are lifting both hips at the same time.
- Hip raises: These are sort of like an exaggerated situp – start out slowly by sitting up, then lowering yourself back down. Hold your knees with your hands as you do this exercise to keep your balance.
- Kegel exercises: These involve tightening and releasing the muscles of your pelvic floor, which are the ones that surround your bladder. These muscles help hold in urine, and the more control you have over them, the better you will be able to prevent leaks from occurring. You can tighten and release these muscles by squeezing them as if you are trying not to pass gas, then relax. As you get better at this exercise, you can do it anywhere and without others noticing. You should also attempt to hold this tension for a few seconds before relaxing.
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Activities for Women with spastic bladder
There are several activities that you can enjoy when you have a spastic bladder, including walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, and bicycling.
You can even go bowling, although you will probably want to wear a pad to prevent leaks when you are doing so.
Sports for Women with spastic bladder
Sports can definitely help improve your bladder control and how well it works – especially team sports like volleyball and basketball or just playing tag with your kids.
This is because moving around and exerting yourself can help strengthen your muscles, including the ones in your pelvic floor.
It will also give you more confidence which will likely translate into better bladder control as well.
Bathing for Women with spastic bladder
You may find that baths are particularly helpful for treating your condition, too – especially if you are prone to get constipated.
Try to use a warm bath every day for 15 minutes, especially after you have eaten a meal, and it is really helpful if you can add some Epsom salts or baking soda to the water as well.
Bladder training for Women with spastic bladder
A useful technique that was designed to help people with incontinence issues is called bladder training. This involves going to the toilet every hour or so, even if you don’t feel like it, and trying your best not to wee then.
If you have trouble urinating when you do go, try doing a quick Kegel exercise while holding in your urine for as long as possible before releasing it.
Conclusion
This is a hot topic in the medical community right now – hopefully, we’ll know more about what’s wrong and how to address it soon. Stay tuned for updates!
References:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03261622
https://www.drugs.com/oxybutynin.html
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/biofeedback-for-incontinence
https://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/bladder-spasms
