The frequent need to urinate can interfere with a person’s quality of life. It is not a feeling that necessarily arises from drinking fluids consistently. A person suffering from overactive bladder syndrome will feel the urge to urinate frequently. It can happen at any time of the day or night, which could also interfere with their sleep.
Nocturia is the term used to describe a person who has to urinate at night frequently, but it is still associated with overactive bladder syndrome. The person loses control of their bladder, which is the reason for their continuous urge to want to urinate. If the person is lucky, they will not experience leakage from these urges. But those who do experience leakage suffer from chronic overactive bladder and incontinence.
Overactive bladder syndrome is not a condition that goes away on its own. Once a person experiences this syndrome, it will stay with them for the rest of their life. They will have the inability to hold their urine until they can find a bathroom. This leads to embarrassing situations where the person urinates in their underpants.
Over 40% of overactive bladder sufferers have incontinence too. The medical name for someone with an overactive bladder who experiences leakage is “urge incontinence OAB wet.” But if there is no leakage experienced from the overactive bladder, it is considered “OAB dry.” It is possible for the non-leakage condition to convert into a leakage condition if the overactive bladder problem is not treated quickly enough.
Mild electrical pulses may be used to assist patients with their bladder control issues. At first, the urologist will prescribe specific oral medications before choosing to use electrical pulses. Antimuscarinics are the oral medications prescribed to patients with mild cases of overactive bladder syndrome. But if they are not effective in reversing the symptoms, the next best option is Axonics Sacral Nerve Modulation. It is an effective technique for helping a person regain bladder control.
Axonics Sacral Nerve Modulation uses mild electrical pulses for bladder control. The urologist doesn’t implant anything into the bladder right away. The patient undergoes a trial period for about one week where the sacral nerve of the bladder receives neurostimulation treatment. If it reduces the patient’s overactive bladder symptoms, then a permanent neurostimulation device gets implanted.
The sacral nerve gives a person the ability to control their urinary muscles, such as the bowels, bladder, and pelvic floor. These are the muscles that control urine flow, allowing someone to hold it in until they find a bathroom. But with an overactive bladder, it becomes challenging to control urine flow. This problem is often associated with a weak sacral nerve that has no stimulation. So, the application of neurostimulation to the sacral nerve will reverse the problem and help you take back control of your urinary muscles again.
Axonics Sacral Nerve Modulation comes from extensive urologic research into the best incontinence and overactive bladder syndrome treatments. Urologists have discovered that it provides primarily positive results for patients with overactive bladders. The procedure involves implanting an electrical pulse generator underneath the flexible and fatty tissues of the buttocks. The battery that powers the generator gets implanted along with the device. For this reason, frequent urologist visits are required because the doctor has to replace the battery periodically.
Lessons to Remember
Overactive bladder syndrome affects over 33 million Americans. If the condition is treated early, oral medications should be enough to reduce its symptoms. Otherwise, Axonics Sacral Nerve Modulation for sacral neurostimulation is the best treatment for getting the bladder under control. Patients should always follow the advice of their doctors to ensure it is a good choice for them.
