What is OAB Frequent and urgent urination is an experience that most people have had at one time or another, but in some people, this common symptom becomes a pain that is difficult to talk about. Patients are plagued by frequent and urgent urination all day long, which seriously interferes with work and rest; more severe cases often pee in their pants before they can make it to the bathroom. Patients have to resort to measures such as going out less, drinking less water, and wearing diapers to prevent unpleasant surprises. If this happens to you, you may be suffering from a condition called overactive bladder disorder. “OAB, often referred to as “Over Active Bladder” (OAB), is a condition characterized by symptoms of urinary urgency, often accompanied by frequent urination, increased nocturia, and urge incontinence. In short, OAB is a disease characterized by “inability to hold urine”.
OAB has been the focus of research in the field of urology in recent years. The epidemiological survey found that: a. OAB is very common, with an incidence of more than 5% in the population. Second, OAB is prevalent in middle-aged and elderly people, with an incidence of more than 10% in people over 40 years old, and more women than men. Third, people do not know enough about OAB, and the consultation rate is very low. This is mainly because people generally believe that urinary frequency and urgency is a natural phenomenon and do not realize that it can be treated.
The causes of OAB are complex, but mental factors and incorrect urinary habits are important factors. Here is a self-bladder training method that can work wonders for many patients. It is completely self-practicing and all you need is some patience and persistence. And – it doesn’t cost you a dime!
There are two basic methods of bladder training, namely anal retraining and delayed voiding, which are described below.
Anal lift training is designed to enhance the function of the urethral sphincter and is more appropriate to do when it is quiet, such as when lying down at rest. It is best to do this training in the early morning and before going to sleep, and other times can be carried out, the number of times can be grasped by themselves. If you can form a habit, it will be very beneficial for urination control.
First, make yourself comfortable in a chair or bed, close your eyes slightly and relax your whole body. Then consciously do a slow, deep breathing movement and count silently while inhaling and exhaling. For most people, counting to six is the appropriate number. You can mentally recite: “Inhale …… one …… two …… three… …four …… five …… six”, “Exhale …… one …… two …… three …… four …… five… …six”. Of course, depending on your lung capacity, it is okay to decrease or increase the number. While breathing deeply, focus your attention on your forehead and imagine your forehead getting cooler as you breathe, with the sensation of a fresh breeze blowing through it. You can also focus on your hands and feel the muscles in your arms getting heavy until you can’t lift them. The breathing will be slightly rapid at first and will soon turn to slow.
After the breathing stabilizes, you can alternate anal lifting and relaxation with the frequency of breathing. Anal lifting is the action of consciously tightening and lifting the anus, while the relaxation action is the opposite. The movements should be gentle and slow, not too violent. There is no limit to the number of times you can do it, usually 20 to 30 times. There is no problem to do more than 50 times.
If you have the urge to urinate during the anal training, you can focus on meditating on the number, the urge to urinate can slowly subside.
If you feel the urge to urinate is too strong to persist, you don’t have to force it, you can always go to urinate. Anal training should follow the principle of gradual progress, and gradually build up the habit.
Delayed urination aims to train urinary control after the onset of the urge to urinate, and it is more suitable to be carried out after the onset of the urge to urinate in daily activities.
After you have the urge to urinate, you should consciously hold your urine for a longer period of time. At the same time, focus on the activity you are doing by taking your attention away from the thought of urinating. When the urge to urinate is obvious, you can control it by lifting the anus. If the urge to urinate is still very strong, you can force yourself to delay urination for half a minute or a minute before going to urinate. If you can achieve a delay in urination, you can delay the delay longer than allowed.
If possible, you can record the volume of urine each time you urinate, and try to make yourself urinate more than 150ml in a single session, and then gradually increase it to 200ml, 250ml, 300ml …… You don’t have to buy a special measuring cup to record the volume of urine, you can estimate it with a drink bottle with a cut opening. You can prepare a handy little notebook and pen in the bathroom to record the time and volume of urine each time you urinate, forming a “urination diary”. This will give you more confidence and a sense of accomplishment when you can see the results of your training.
At the beginning of delayed voiding training, the urge to urinate is often not fully controlled and some people feel discouraged. In fact, similar to the anal lift, delayed voiding should be done gradually and with the thought that if you practice, you will get better.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers “Bladder function training” combines the features of psychology and behavioral medicine, and is simple and effective. OAB patients will benefit from this program if they are consistent. However, the condition of the patient varies greatly, and patients often have different feelings during the procedure. Some common questions are listed below: “I felt more urgent when I started the exercise?”
The main reason many patients experience this is that they are not yet fully relaxed mentally. People generally have a mental habit that “the more they deliberately don’t think about it, the more they will think about it”, so they become “overly concerned” about the urge to urinate, and naturally feel the urge to urinate worse.
The solution to this psychological habit is simple: take your time, look at the urge to urinate as a normal thing, and don’t rush to “conquer” the urge to urinate. Generally, as you relax, the problem is overcome naturally.
“I don’t feel any effect after practice!”
Bladder function training has a positive effect on OAB patients with “mental factors” and “incorrect urination habits”, but the percentage of this type of patients in the total OAB population is still unknown. It is important to emphasize that bladder training is not effective if there is a real objective pathology.
If you do not receive any results after 1 to 2 months of strict adherence to training, or if you have very unsatisfactory symptom relief. Then it is recommended to visit a urology clinic. On the one hand, you may have trained incorrectly and need guidance; on the other hand, you may have objective diseases such as infection, obstruction, stones, tuberculosis or even tumors in some patients. The identification of these diseases is so complex that it is difficult to go into detail and requires specialized examination by a urologist.
“I find it difficult to stick to.”
As with other physical exercises, bladder function training requires persistence. It is common for anxious patients to become discouraged and unable to persist if they don’t see results after a few days of practice. However, you cannot expect a few intermittent exercises to produce miracles.
It is recommended not to set expectations very high at the beginning, as long as you can see the results, it is a good sign. Patients with severe symptoms or no improvement can be treated with medication for one to two weeks, and then gradually reduce the dosage of medication after feeling improvement in symptoms, which will be easier to stick to. In addition, please organize your work and life so that you can make time for exercises in advance.
“I feel that the exercises are working, do I still need to take the medication?”
This is a common misconception that bladder function training and medication are seen as opposites. In reality, the two go hand in hand. Medication can totally help you get rid of your symptoms sooner. Bladder training can also reduce the dose, frequency, and side effects of medications.
For patients with severe OAB symptoms, unsatisfactory relief, or mild to severe symptoms, bladder training in combination with medication is the ideal solution and can be gradually reduced until the medication is discontinued. Anticholinergics are currently the most commonly used drugs with fast onset and satisfactory efficacy, but they should not be used in patients with a history of glaucoma and other medical conditions, so it is best to consult a doctor and not to take medication without authorization.