Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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OAB: Symptoms and Diagnosis
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Dr. Jill Rabin: Overactive bladder is a condition where the bladder has spasms and doesn't warn the urethra.
Deanna: In layman's terms, it's when you have to go the bathroom all the time.
Dr. Seth Cohen: The normal physiologic process of the bladder is a large, floppy muscle that fills, stores, and empties urine. In the overactive bladder patient, as the bladder is filling, it's starting to contract on its own without the patient's sort of consent to contract.
Dr. Jill Rabin: The spasm causes loss of most of the bladder contents and this can be extremely debilitating.
Eddie: It wasn't unusual to wake up a few times during the nights just to go the bathroom.
Angela: When I would go to the restroom, not really feeling like I emptied my bladder completely.
Faye: So, you know, like you cross your legs and you take the walk like this.
Deanna: I'd get a little embarrassed by the fact that I have to go the bathroom a lot or even when people notice it.
Faye: I also do this face like, oh, please don't, please don't, please don't, not yet, not yet.
Angela: Every time I would start walking, I would have to go to a bathroom. If there was no bathroom in the area, I was in trouble.
Eddie: Eventually, I don't want to say cripples you, but it really kind of limits or starts closing your lifestyle, little by little.
Deanna: It was affecting my life.
Dr. Seth Cohen: And so lot of patients will say, "You know, I have to plan out my day based on where the bathrooms are going to be."
Eddie: I got tired of having my life adjusted to symptoms. I said, "Let me get rid of this problem or at least control it."
Deanna: Finally, I went to my general practitioner and explained the symptoms to him and he sent me to a urologist.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Your doctor will do a physical examination, examine you very carefully to make sure that your nerves are working and the muscles are strong.
Dr. Seth Cohen: We'll just sort of go through a history and do a full physical exam and make sure... You want to make sure there's no urinary tract infections, make sure there's no bleeding or blood in the urine. And if there aren't, we can start with initial behavioral type of modifications.
Angela: At the end of that appointment, she was able to tell me exactly what I had going on.
Deanna: Since then, I've learned that it actually is something, it's diagnosed as something, and it can be treated, and it can be helped.
Dr. Jill Rabin: We are able to help them not leak at all or leak so much less that they're back in control of their lives.
Angela: Knowing what you have is really the key because you can manage it.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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All About Telehealth for Overactive Bladder
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All About Telehealth for Overactive Bladder
Telehealth allows doctors to care for people virtually over a phone call, text message, or most commonly, video chat.
Although some situations require an in-person visit, telehealth is a great option when you can't get to the doctor's office for your overactive bladder.
If you're new to telehealth, here's what you need to know.
Medicare will cover telehealth visits just like in-person visits, but state Medicaid programs and private insurers vary, so confirm your coverage in advance.
With telehealth, even though you're not in the doctor's office, your private health information is still covered by HIPAA, so it will remain confidential and secure.
Although your urologist or gynecologist can't give you a physical exam via telehealth, they can write prescriptions and offer quality care, especially if you prepare in advance.
Before your telehealth appointment:- List any overactive bladder symptoms (including dates and severity), such as urgency to use the bathroom, frequent urination, or incontinence- Note any side effects from your overactive bladder medications or therapies, such as pain, dry mouth or eyes, or constipation- Keep a "bladder diary" for at least a few days, recording when and how much liquid you drink, how strong your urges to urinate are, and if you're experiencing incontinence- Record your vital signs if you own a thermometer, blood pressure monitor, or another device- Compile a list of your health conditions and medications- Write down any questions you have for your doctor- Charge your computer or phone- Make sure your internet is reliable- Download any telehealth apps your specific provider may require- Find a quiet, private space to conduct the call- Be prepared with pen and paper or a note-taking app
Turn to Healthgrades to connect with the right urologist or gynecologist to treat overactive bladder via telehealth. And share this video to help spread the word!
2022 Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. The content on Healthgrades does not provide medical advice. Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced
or reprinted without permission from Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. Use
of this information is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Things You Didn't Know About Overactive Bladder
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2022 Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. The content on Healthgrades does not provide medical advice. Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced
or reprinted without permission from Healthgrades Operating Company, Inc. Use
of this information is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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Living With Overactive Bladder
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Angela: I'm Angela, I'm from Philadelphia and I have OAB. It was very frustrating knowing that my body was doing something that it didn't normally do and just wasn't able to find out or figure out at that time what it was.
Dr. Jill Rabin: I had a woman coming into my office to say her husband had taken her, finally, on a beautiful cruise in the Caribbean and she had a beautiful green silk outfit on and they were dancing on the dance floor and she had kept OAB secret from her husband for at least three years. In the middle of the dance floor, she lost all of her bladder contents; forget about the ruined dress, she was absolutely mortified in front of her husband, who had no idea she had hidden it, and from all of the people on the dance floor.
Deanna: I first noticed I had OAB, probably I was shopping with my mother.
Faye: I went to Europe in '94-'95.
Deanna: I must have went to the bathroom maybe four or five times during the short shopping trip and I thought to myself that it was somewhat normal for me. My mother's like, "Why do you keep going to the bathroom?" So I'm like, "What do you mean?" She's like, "Something must be wrong with you because you're going to the bathroom so much."
Faye: I noticed that, on the bus trips, I would have to stop and ask the bus driver to let me make a pit stop and I couldn't figure that one out.
Angela: For a while, I just thought I had bladder infections. I kept saying, "I have to have a bladder infection. I feel like I have a bladder infection, something's going on. I'm waking up in the middle of the night, I have to constantly go to the bathroom, sometimes I feel like I can't even make it."
Deanna: It makes life a little bit more difficult in the respect of things that I would have done in the past, I think twice about.
Faye: I noticed it was getting worse and worse and worse; I mean, I couldn't even go an hour without having to go to the bathroom.
Deanna: And then I got it checked out.
Dr. Jill Rabin: As soon as that ship docked, she was in my office to get a diagnosis and a treatment plan and we were able to help her.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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Treating Overactive Bladder
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Dr. Jill Rabin: A treatment plan for OAB (overactive bladder), first of all, starts with going to the doctor, having them take a history, do a physical exam, make a diagnosis.
Dr. Seth Cohen: So, I always start with lifestyle modification first, and then I go into other treatment methods.
Angela: For me, my approach was to try the therapy first, and that's when I really learned a lot about the condition and how it could be managed.
Dr. Seth Cohen: A lot of patients will tell me, "I'm going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. If I feel that urge to go to the bathroom I just go," and the problem with that is you're sort of giving in to the bladder. Now you're living life based on what the bladder wants you to do. So, what we try to teach our patents is bladder retraining.
Dr. Jill Rabin: You start to go to the bathroom, let's say every two hours, or every two to three hours. Eventually, your bladder will get used to being ruled by your brain or your mind.
Eddie: The least amount of treatment helped me out. I can't say that's going to be for everybody, but give it a try.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Nutrition affects OAB, because nutrition affects everything. Nutrition, what we eat, controls how our brain functions, and our brain controls how our body functions.
Angela: Tomato paste, for me, irritates my bladder.
Deanna: Caffeine, chocolate, tea-
Dr. Jill Rabin: Alcohol or hot pepper, hot foods.
Dr. Seth Cohen: If it affects your bowels it's going to affect your bladder as well.
Deanna: So, I just try to stay away from the triggers.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Additionally, we may teach patients what we call Kegel exercises-
Dr. Seth Cohen: Where you're strengthening your pelvic floor, which is sitting right underneath your bladder.
Angela: You want to make sure you're moving the right area.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Hold the pelvic floor up tight for a count of three to five 'Mississippi.'
Dr. Seth Cohen: While you're sitting or relaxing, take a deep breath.
Dr. Jill Rabin: One Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc. And then you relax the pelvic floor.
Angela: Doing them in sets and correctly and consistently is key to getting that muscle stronger.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Other treatments include medications-
Dr. Seth Cohen: All these medications essentially work in the same fashion. They relax the muscle of the bladder and allow the bladder to fill and relax instead of being overactive and wobbling so much.
Eddie: It controls that great urge, like you've always got to go.
Dr. Seth Cohen: And it just allows them to live their life as they were living before.
Dr. Jill Rabin: If further treatment is needed, there's now a pacemaker.
Dr. Seth Cohen: We implant a little device, it goes in the back.
Dr. Jill Rabin: And there's a tiny wire that goes to a nerve that governs the bladder.
Dr. Seth Cohen: We can now control the voiding and the storage phases of urination.
Dr. Jill Rabin: We can do so much to help you to leak less and to have control over your life.
Angela: Listen, overactive bladder. You didn't take over me. I took over you.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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OAB: Symptoms and Diagnosis
9
Transcript
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Dr. Jill Rabin: Overactive bladder is a condition where the bladder has spasms and doesn't warn the urethra.
Deanna: In layman's terms, it's when you have to go the bathroom all the time.
Dr. Seth Cohen: The normal physiologic process of the bladder is a large, floppy muscle that fills, stores, and empties urine. In the overactive bladder patient, as the bladder is filling, it's starting to contract on its own without the patient's sort of consent to contract.
Dr. Jill Rabin: The spasm causes loss of most of the bladder contents and this can be extremely debilitating.
Eddie: It wasn't unusual to wake up a few times during the nights just to go the bathroom.
Angela: When I would go to the restroom, not really feeling like I emptied my bladder completely.
Faye: So, you know, like you cross your legs and you take the walk like this.
Deanna: I'd get a little embarrassed by the fact that I have to go the bathroom a lot or even when people notice it.
Faye: I also do this face like, oh, please don't, please don't, please don't, not yet, not yet.
Angela: Every time I would start walking, I would have to go to a bathroom. If there was no bathroom in the area, I was in trouble.
Eddie: Eventually, I don't want to say cripples you, but it really kind of limits or starts closing your lifestyle, little by little.
Deanna: It was affecting my life.
Dr. Seth Cohen: And so lot of patients will say, "You know, I have to plan out my day based on where the bathrooms are going to be."
Eddie: I got tired of having my life adjusted to symptoms. I said, "Let me get rid of this problem or at least control it."
Deanna: Finally, I went to my general practitioner and explained the symptoms to him and he sent me to a urologist.
Dr. Jill Rabin: Your doctor will do a physical examination, examine you very carefully to make sure that your nerves are working and the muscles are strong.
Dr. Seth Cohen: We'll just sort of go through a history and do a full physical exam and make sure... You want to make sure there's no urinary tract infections, make sure there's no bleeding or blood in the urine. And if there aren't, we can start with initial behavioral type of modifications.
Angela: At the end of that appointment, she was able to tell me exactly what I had going on.
Deanna: Since then, I've learned that it actually is something, it's diagnosed as something, and it can be treated, and it can be helped.
Dr. Jill Rabin: We are able to help them not leak at all or leak so much less that they're back in control of their lives.
Angela: Knowing what you have is really the key because you can manage it.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Top Tips for Better Sleep
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Sleep:- We can't live without it, yet most of us don't get nearly enough of it. If you struggle to get a good night's sleep, try these sleep hygiene tips to wake up refreshed and ready to go. 1) Make your bedroom a restful environment. Set the thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees. Close curtains and windows and turn off all lamps. If your partner snores or goes to bed after you, consider using an eye shade and earplugs so you're not disturbed. 2) Stick to the same sleep schedule. Regulate your body's inner clock by going to sleep at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. 3) Zen out with your nighttime routine. Set aside at least 30 minutes to wind down, turn off screens, and focus on relaxing. This sends signals to your body that it's time to end the day and enter restful sleep. If your brain just won't turn off, listen to a guided meditation, calming music, or peaceful sounds. 4) Get your sweat on. As little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise can improve sleep quality and make it easier to fall asleep. Just walking briskly or riding a bike can have an impact on your sleep and energy level. 5) Make sure it's not a bigger issue. If you've tried these tricks and still aren't sleeping well, talk to your doctor to determine if you need a sleep study.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Ways to Ease Overactive Bladder
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Overactive bladder can give you the urge to go frequently and suddenly throughout the day, often at the most inconvenient times. But OAB doesn't have to control your life. 1. Cut down on caffeine. Beverages that contain caffeine can make you go more frequently, so choose water instead. 2. And drink plenty of it. You might think that reducing fluid intake is one way to control the urge, but this can actually irritate your bladder, making you run to the bathroom even more often. 3. Choose the right food. Many of your favorite foods might bother your bladder. Stay away from alcohol, apples, chocolate, citrus, honey, milk, tomatoes, vinegar, and spicy foods. 4. Strengthen your pelvic muscles. Stronger pelvic muscles help you stay in control of your bladder. Tighten your pelvic floor, hold for five to ten seconds, and then relax. Repeat several times throughout the day. 5. Ask your doctor about treatment options. Overactive bladder can be treated successfully. Talk to your doctor and work together to find a solution.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Top Tips for Bladder Control
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Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Fast Facts on Lean Protein
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We all know proteins are essential to good health. Problem is, not all proteins are created equal. Often, they're full of fat. Fortunately, lean proteins can make your taste buds, and your heart, just as happy. 1. Protein plays a crucial role for almost every part of your body. It helps build bone, muscle, skin, and blood. Protein also helps your body repair tissue, fight infection, and regulate your hormones and lean protein provides all these benefits without the extra fat. 2. Meat isn't the only source of lean protein. There are plenty of plant-based sources, including nuts, beans, legumes, soy products, and whole grains. 3. Lean meats have less fat and cholesterol than other meats. For the carnivores, skinless poultry, grass-fed beef, and fish, like salmon and tuna, are healthier options than their higher fat counterparts. 4. Eating plenty of beans, low fat meat, nuts, and soy can help you lose weight. Lean protein makes you feel fuller for longer, so you're less likely to snack. 5. Experts recommend that about a third of your daily calories should come from lower fat proteins. There are endless ways to make delicious meals with lean proteins. Try skinless chicken kebabs, turkey and quinoa meatloaf, spicy baked tofu, and more.
Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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5 Things to Know About Detoxes and Cleanses
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Women's Health: Overactive Bladder Video Center
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6 Myths About Overactive Bladder
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Only the very young and the very old struggle to hold their bladders, right? Wrong. Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition that affects people of all ages. In fact, about 33 million Americans have OAB. Even so, many people don't know much about it. Can you separate myth from fact?
Myth: You might think having an overactive bladder means you'll leak when you laugh, but leaking when you laugh, cough, or exercise can be caused by a condition called stress incontinence. OAB is different because it involves strong, sudden urges to urinate, which can cause accidents.
Myth: Only women have overactive bladders. In reality, after the age of 60, more men than women say they have symptoms of OAB. However, women are more likely than men to seek medical help for the problem, so it may seem like it's just a women's issue.
Myth: Having an overactive bladder means your bladder is just too small. However, size has nothing to do with it. The strong, sudden urges to urinate with OAB are caused by involuntary bladder contractions, and in men, an enlarged prostate can cause OAB.
Myth: Some think they don't need a specialist to treat overactive bladder. While your primary care doctor should be your first stop, you might also benefit from seeing a urologist, a gynecologist, or a kidney specialist, called a nephrologist. By using Healthgrades' Guided Physician Search, it's easy to find a doctor who's the best fit for you and your overactive bladder.
Myth: A lot of people figure that OAB can't be treated. Effective treatments do exist, so don't wait to talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Lifestyle modifications like changing your diet, exercising your pelvic muscles, and retraining your bladder are often helpful, and medication is an option when further treatment is needed. Ask your doctor about finding the right treatment plan for you.
Myth: You might think that if one overactive bladder medication didn't work, nothing will. You'll be happy to know that's not true. There are several different medications out there, and they each have pros and cons. Some are extended-release formulas, some in pill form, and others are skin patches or gels. If one causes frustrating side effects, your doctor may recommend trying a different one.
And remember, it's easy to find the right doctor at Healthgrades.
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