Bladder Spasms are a sudden contraction of the bladder, causing a very urgent demand to urinate.
For those who suffer from Bladder Spams, unwanted urination may occur. There is often a cramping pain in the bladder.
Bladder spasms can occur at night and lead to bed wetting, particularly in children. Sufferers may be reluctant to leave the house if they feel they always have to be close to a bathroom.
Bladder spasms can occur due to several causes. Some of the symptoms typical of this condition are similar to cramps, and that makes people mistake it for a different health issue.
However, if this symptom comes along an uncontrollable urge to urinate all the time, you’re dealing with a case of Bladder Spasms.
People with Urinary Tract Infections are prone to suffer from Bladder Distension or Bladder Spasms.
This condition comes along vomiting, fever, puede estar acompañada de otros síntomas como vómitos, fiebre, chills, and darker urine.
During pregnancy or delivery, the bladder tends to stretch, which makes it weaker and more fragile. That’s a moment when spasms are likely to occur.
Sometimes, diseases capable of damaging the nerves play a role in the development of this condition. The brain usually sends signals to the body to indicate when do we need to urinate.
However, ailments like Diabetes, Parkinson, Sclerosis, cerebral palsy, tumors, or strokes can deal a remarkable damage to nerves.
Under such circumstances, the nerves don’t transmit the signals accurately from the brain to the body.
Sometimes even the brain sends the wrong message regarding the need to urinate; or doesn’t transmit anything at all
When the body is unable to indicate when do we need to pee, we might end up suffering from incontinence.
Some kinds of food like caffeine-based products, spicy meals, citrus fruits, alcohol, cured products, and artificial sweeteners can irritate the bladder. Excessive consumption of these products can cause Bladder Spasms.
These spasms could also occur as the result of a condition called Interstitial Cystitis. This health issue produces an inflammation of the bladder, and this causes pain and discomfort.
Causes
The following are among the most common causes of Bladder Spasms:
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): A UTI may cause spasms. Other symptoms of a UTI include cloudy urine, sometimes with a particularly unpleasant smell, and persistent pelvic or back pain. Catheter Use in a hospital can give rise to bladder spasms.
Weak pelvic muscles: The pelvic muscles can be weakened by age, or by being damaged (for example during childbirth or an operation).
Nerve Damage: Various diseases can cause nerve damage, along with surgery or radiation treatment.
Interstitial cystitis can sometimes give rise to bladder spasms.
Various Medications, such a valrubicin (used to treat bladder cancer) and bethanechol (used to treat urinary retention), can lead to bladder spasms.
Treatments
Diet Changes can help in some cases. The sufferer should keep a food diary, and try to eliminate various “likely suspects” from their diet.
Timed Urination: Regular visits to the bathroom are made, say every two hours. The method is often successful with children since it stops urine building up too much.
Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegel Exercises) gradually help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. They often increase control and decrease the intensity of spasms.
Anti-cholinergic Medications: These drugs inhibit the binding of acetylcholine in the nerve cells, and thus reduce the intensity of bladder spasms.
Most people use Tolterodine (Detrol), oxybutynin (Ditropan), trospium chloride (Sanctura), darifenacin (Enablex), and solifenacin (Vesicare). Side-effects include a dry mouth, constipation, and sensitivity to light.
Imipramine (Tofranil) is a tricyclic antidepressant, sometimes used to treat bladder spasms, since it can help the bladder relax.
It is particularly useful to control night-time urination, so is sometimes prescribed to children.
Recognizing bladder spasms is the first step towards treatment. Some treatment methods can be done at home, while others may require professional consultation.
Bladder spasms can be treated only by modifying the diet with regular monitoring. This means reducing the intake of foods that cause this condition, such as caffeine, alcohol, etc.
Including yogurt in the daily diet can help treat these spasms. Keeping a note of the food you eat will help identify the foods that aggravate the condition.
Make a habit of urinating at regular intervals that is, every 2 hours until symptoms appear. This will gradually reduce the tendency of escape and experience embarrassing situations.
Pelvic floor exercises or bladder exercises help control bladder spasms.
However, it is best to consult a physician when performing these exercises, since sometimes controlling the wrong muscles can cause the contractions even more.
Medications for this problem include antidepressants, anticholinergics, and alpha-blockers. These medicines are applied to the bladder to relax and empty completely.
Even BOTOX, which is injected directly into the bladder muscles, is known to control spasms of the bladder.
Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, are helpful in helping to reduce this condition.
In case of prolonged symptoms, it is essential to consult a urologist. Symptoms of cramps in the lower abdomen, frequent urination, and a burning sensation when urinating should not be misinterpreted or ignored under any circumstances.
There are treatments for these symptoms can if diagnosed at the right time.
Antibiotics may be needed to cure any underlying bladder infection
Electrical Stimulation through the skin is sometimes used to control bladder spasms. A “TENS” (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) device is used to give mild electrical stimulation.
Botox Injections into the bladder muscle can reduce the intensity of bladder contractions. This is a relatively new treatment but is starting to be used in some countries when other treatments have failed.
The FDA approved Botox injections for an overactive bladder in 2013
Gosha-jinki-gan is a traditional Japanese herbal remedy for an overactive bladder.
It is actually a mixture of a number of different herbs. There is some scientific evidence that it can be effective, although further trials are needed to confirm this.
Cleavers (goosegrass or sticky Willy, Gallium Aparine) is a weed with sticky leaves.
A tea made from the leaves is a mild diuretic and is sometimes used to reduce the intensity of bladder spasms. There do not seem to have been any scientific trials to validate its traditional use.
