Overactive Bladder Specialist

What causes overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder is a type of urinary incontinence in which your bladder muscles suddenly contract, causing a strong urge to urinate. The urge is often so severe that urine uncontrollably leaks or you may not make it to the bathroom.

The problem often arises from a glitch in nerve signals between the brain and the bladder. As a result, bladder muscles get the message to contract even when you don’t need to urinate.

You can also develop overactive bladder symptoms due to underlying problems such as:

• Acute urinary tract infection
• Enlarged prostate
• Age-related loss of bladder elasticity

In some cases, excess urine production caused by diabetes and kidney disease may lead to an overactive bladder.

How is overactive bladder diagnosed?

Your doctor at Advanced Urology of South Florida begins by evaluating your overall health, including your history of incontinence, illnesses, and medications. Following a thorough physical exam, your doctor may order blood work or urology tests, such as urodynamic studies to evaluate your bladder and urethra.

Urodynamic studies include several procedures that test the following:

• Amount of urine remaining in your bladder after voiding
• Volume and speed of your urine flow
• The pressure inside your bladder

With urodynamic testing, your doctor gains valuable information, such as whether you have involuntary muscle contractions or a stiff bladder that can’t store urine.

How is overactive bladder treated?

The doctors at Advanced Urology of South Florida offer a range of options that can be used to create an individualized treatment plan for your overactive bladder. Possible treatments include:

• Bladder training to improve bladder control
• Pelvic floor exercises to improve muscle control
• Medications to relax bladder muscles

The team at Advanced Urology of South Florida also offer cutting-edge treatments for overactive bladder, including:

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation

This treatment safely delivers electrical stimulation to the nerves at the base of the spine that are responsible for bladder function. With a series of treatments, nerve stimulation improves bladder activity.

InterStim™ therapy

InterStim is an implantable device that sends mild electrical impulses to the sacral nerve, which controls the bladder and muscles associated with urination. This gentle electrical stimulation helps normalize communication between the bladder and the brain.

You don’t need to continue suffering from overactive bladder. You can get treatment by calling Advanced Urology of South Florida or booking an appointment online.