Do you have constant urges to urinate that you cannot control? Even if you drink a lot of water, you might have a bladder problem that makes you urinate frequently. The official term for this problem is overactive bladder or uncontrollable bladder.
Keep track of how many times you go to the bathroom on a given day. If it is more than eight times, then you likely have an overactive bladder problem. It’s even worse if you leak urine before you reach the bathroom due to incontinence. Urination accidents are clear signs that you need to seek treatment from a qualified urologist immediately.
Overactive bladders don’t discriminate against gender. Males and females are both susceptible to developing overactive bladder disorder. When the brain and bladder cannot communicate effectively, then a full bladder cannot signal to the brain that it needs relief. That is one reason for incontinence.
The signal between the brain and bladder gets messed up if the bladder muscles contract too much. All that contraction adds pressure and stress to the bladder sphincters. If you develop an uncontrollable desire to urinate frequently, it is probably due to the bladder sphincters getting too stressed.
Many urologists recommend traditional overactive bladder treatments like physical therapy, catheters, absorbent pads, and behavioral therapy. Some urologists may even recommend sacral nerve stimulation or other surgical procedures. However, the use of Botox for maintaining bladder control seems to be highly effective and less risky.
Botox injections have been synonymous with cosmetic surgery. For example, people who want to reduce their facial wrinkles or enhance their lip size might visit a cosmetic surgeon to request Botox injections. But what most people don’t realize is that Botox injections can treat bladder control issues too.
A urologist won’t typically recommend Botox as the first treatment option. They will recommend you try products and medications first. But if those other bladder control treatments have failed you, the urologist will recommend Botox as an alternative to surgery.
The idea behind Botox injections is to relax the bladder muscles. When the bladder muscles get put under pressure, they become tense. So, the urologist will inject Botox into the bladder muscles to ease the tension. That way, it will be easier to control your urination urges so that you don’t have any accidents before getting to the bathroom.
Botox injections are not painful. The worst you will feel is some mild discomfort and cramping, but it goes away after a couple of days. It is worth tolerating this temporary discomfort because the long-term benefits of bladder control will last for up to six months.
Once you start to lose control of your bladder function again, you can simply make an appointment with the urologist to have another Botox injection. These will have to be regular injections that you get every six months. It may be inconvenient, but it certainly beats having to deal with incontinence every day.
Numerous clinical trials have proven Botox injections to be effective in reducing the symptoms of overactive bladder. The results of these trials have been published in many reputable scientific journals around the world. In 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration even approved Botox to treat urologic conditions.
Lesson to Remember
It is essential to visit a licensed urologist for regular checkups. Even if you think your bladder is healthy, it is better to have a urologist verify it. They might discover a bladder issue that could get worse without treatment. It is always better to treat bladder problems in the early stages before they get worse. The urologist’s recommendation could be Botox, medication, therapy, or any other form of treatment they seem fit.
