According to the results of a domestic epidemiological survey, the overall prevalence of OAB (overactive bladder disorder) in China is 5.9% in people over 18 years of age, and the prevalence gradually increases with age; the overall prevalence of OAB in people over 41 years of age is 11.3%.
The results of China’s first large-scale urology outpatient status survey (LUTSChina) showed that 59% of patients with moderate to severe OAB currently have OAB, 73% urinate more than 8 times a day during active hours, and more than 70% urinate more than 2 times at night. The percentage of patients suffering from emotional burdens such as travel, social activities, and depression, shame, and anxiety was as high as 66%. In contrast, the diagnosis rate of OAB patients is only 25%.
As the country’s population ages, more and more middle-aged and elderly people are suffering from overactive bladder (OAB). This is a syndrome characterized by urinary urgency, the most obvious manifestations of which are urinary urgency, frequency, nocturia and urge incontinence, also known as “inability to hold urine”.
OAB is divided into primary OAB and secondary OAB, with the latter being more common in clinical practice. The symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency seriously affect the quality of life of patients, and the embarrassment of urinary leakage makes some patients afraid to go out and socialize normally, so it is imaginatively called a new type of “social cancer”.
The treatment of secondary OAB, that is, OAB symptoms associated with various urological diseases, also requires a multi-pronged approach. The primary cause of OAB is initially determined and treated through consultation with a specialist, physical examination and necessary tests. Treatment can begin with diet and water regulation, avoiding coffee or other stimulating foods; nighttime water regulation, reducing water consumption before bedtime or after dinner. The next step is bladder control and training. A urinary diary can be kept for a few days before treatment, including the time and volume of urination each day. Then build on this and gradually expand the effective bladder capacity by intentionally holding urine. Older adults can also improve the coordinated function of the pelvic floor muscles during voiding by regular fitness and daily anal lifting exercises.
Pharmacological treatment is an effective way to control OAB, and M-receptor antagonists are currently preferred. These drugs are often effective in relieving the patient’s symptoms such as urinary frequency and urgency, but it is also important to be aware of side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, reduced gastric motility, and blurred vision. If medication is still ineffective, bladder irrigation therapy, botulinum toxin injection, biofeedback therapy or sacral neuromodulation stimulation can be performed depending on the condition. Patients with severe urinary frequency, urgency or leakage can undergo surgical treatment such as bladder enlargement if none of the above methods are effective. the incidence of OAB is also closely related to lifestyle habits. It is recommended to develop good habits, such as wiping from the front to the back after urination and defecation to avoid urinary tract infections; maintain a regular sex life, the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles can reduce the incidence of urinary incontinence; people suffering from diabetes, enlarged prostate or gynecological diseases should be treated promptly, these chronic diseases can trigger OAB; try to eat less strong coffee, strong tea, chocolate, bladder stimulation may also cause OAB occurs.
In addition, OAB likes to bother people who have been vegetarian for a long time, people who like to drink coffee and tea, people who have been engaged in physical labor for a long time, people who smoke too much and have been smoking for too long, people who drink liquor frequently, women who have given birth and have stopped menstruating, women who have given birth or scraped more times, and men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia. These people need to be more vigilant.