Pee every 5 minutes. Overactive Bladder in Children: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
How does overactive bladder affect children. What are the common signs of overactive bladder in kids. Can children outgrow overactive bladder symptoms. What treatments are available for pediatric overactive bladder. How is bedwetting related to overactive bladder in children.
Understanding Overactive Bladder in Children
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition that can affect both children and adults, causing frequent and urgent urination. In children, this condition can lead to urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary release of urine. While every child develops differently, most children typically achieve daytime dryness by age 4 and nighttime dryness by ages 5 or 6.
Understanding OAB in children is crucial for parents and caregivers to provide appropriate support and seek timely medical intervention when necessary. Let’s delve deeper into the various aspects of this condition in children.
Recognizing the Signs of Overactive Bladder in Children
Identifying the symptoms of overactive bladder in children is the first step towards proper management. The primary signs include:
- Frequent urination, sometimes as often as every 5-10 minutes
- Urgent need to urinate
- Inability to reach the toilet before urine starts flowing
- Daytime wetting accidents
- Nighttime bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
Is there a specific number of times a child with OAB might urinate per day? Children with a condition called pollakiuria, or frequent daytime urination syndrome, may urinate between 10 and 30 times a day. This condition is most common in children aged 3 to 8 and typically occurs only during waking hours.
Unveiling the Causes of Overactive Bladder in Children
Overactive bladder in children can stem from various factors. Understanding these causes can help in determining the most effective treatment approach. Some common causes include:
- Bladder muscle spasms: Uncontrollable contractions of the bladder muscles can lead to frequent and urgent urination.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Inflammation and discomfort in the urinary tract can increase the urge to urinate.
- Neurological conditions: Certain neurological disorders may affect bladder control.
- Stress-related factors: Pollakiuria, for instance, is believed to be related to stress and usually resolves within 2-3 weeks without treatment.
- Dietary factors: Consumption of caffeine or allergens can irritate the bladder and increase urine output.
- Anxiety-inducing events: Stressful situations can exacerbate OAB symptoms.
- Infrequent urination: Holding urine for extended periods can lead to bladder issues.
- Structural abnormalities: Problems with the bladder or urethra structure can cause OAB symptoms.
- Constipation: Bowel issues can put pressure on the bladder, affecting urination patterns.
- Incomplete bladder emptying: Not fully emptying the bladder during toilet visits can contribute to OAB.
- Obstructive sleep apnea: This sleep disorder has been linked to nighttime urination problems in children.
Treatment Options for Overactive Bladder in Children
How is overactive bladder treated in children? The good news is that in many cases, children outgrow OAB naturally. For each year after the age of 5, the number of overactive bladder cases declines by approximately 15%. However, when treatment is necessary, several options are available:
Non-Medicinal Approaches
- Bladder training: Exercises to strengthen and coordinate urethra and bladder muscles.
- Timed voiding: Urinating on a schedule, such as every two hours.
- Healthy urination habits: Taking sufficient time to urinate and relaxing muscles during urination.
- Dietary modifications: Avoiding caffeine and other bladder irritants.
Medicinal Treatments
When non-medicinal approaches are insufficient, doctors may prescribe medications. Oxybutynin is commonly used to control urgent, uncontrolled, or frequent urination by relaxing bladder muscles. However, newer drugs with potentially fewer side effects are now available. In cases where OAB is caused by a urinary tract infection, antibiotics may be prescribed to clear the infection.
The Connection Between Bedwetting and Overactive Bladder
Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is often related to overactive bladder in children. Many of the conditions that increase the likelihood of daytime incontinence can also lead to nighttime wetting. However, bedwetting can have additional causes:
- Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) deficiency: ADH normally slows urine production at night. Insufficient ADH can lead to overproduction of urine and subsequent bedwetting.
- Family history: Bedwetting often runs in families.
- Stress and life changes: New siblings or changes in living circumstances can trigger bedwetting.
- Sleep disruptions: Poor sleep quality can affect bladder control at night.
- Type 1 Diabetes: This condition can cause increased thirst and urination, potentially leading to nighttime accidents.
Advanced Treatment Methods for Persistent Bedwetting
While most children outgrow bedwetting, persistent cases may require additional interventions. What are some advanced methods to treat bedwetting in children? Here are some options:
- Moisture alarms: These devices alert the child when urine is detected, helping them wake up to use the bathroom.
- Bladder volume training: This involves encouraging the child to hold urine for progressively longer periods during the day to increase bladder capacity.
- Positive reinforcement: Reward systems can motivate children to stay dry at night.
- Medication: In some cases, doctors may prescribe medications like desmopressin to reduce nighttime urine production.
Psychological Impact of Overactive Bladder on Children
Overactive bladder can have significant psychological effects on children. How does OAB impact a child’s emotional well-being? Here are some potential consequences:
- Low self-esteem: Frequent accidents can make children feel embarrassed and insecure.
- Social isolation: Fear of accidents may lead children to avoid social situations or sleepovers.
- Anxiety: Constant worry about finding a bathroom or having an accident can cause anxiety.
- Academic challenges: OAB symptoms can interfere with concentration at school.
- Family stress: Managing OAB can be stressful for the entire family.
It’s crucial for parents and caregivers to provide emotional support and reassurance to children dealing with OAB. Professional counseling may be beneficial in some cases to help children cope with the emotional aspects of the condition.
Lifestyle Modifications to Manage Overactive Bladder in Children
In addition to medical treatments, certain lifestyle changes can help manage OAB symptoms in children. What lifestyle modifications can help children with overactive bladder? Consider the following strategies:
- Fluid management: Encourage adequate hydration during the day, but limit fluids in the evening.
- Dietary adjustments: Avoid bladder irritants like caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and citrus fruits.
- Regular bathroom breaks: Implement a schedule for toilet visits to prevent the bladder from becoming too full.
- Proper toilet posture: Teach children to sit comfortably on the toilet with feet supported to facilitate complete bladder emptying.
- Constipation prevention: Ensure a high-fiber diet and regular bowel movements to reduce pressure on the bladder.
- Stress management: Help children develop coping strategies for stress, which can exacerbate OAB symptoms.
- Clothing choices: Opt for easily removable clothing to prevent delays in reaching the toilet.
Implementing these lifestyle changes can significantly improve a child’s ability to manage OAB symptoms and reduce the frequency of accidents.
The Role of Physical Therapy in Managing Overactive Bladder
Physical therapy can play a crucial role in managing overactive bladder in children. How can physical therapy help children with OAB? Here are some ways:
- Pelvic floor exercises: These exercises strengthen the muscles that control urination.
- Biofeedback training: This technique helps children become more aware of their bladder muscles and how to control them.
- Electrical stimulation: In some cases, gentle electrical stimulation can help improve bladder control.
- Behavioral techniques: Physical therapists can teach children strategies to suppress the urge to urinate and increase bladder capacity.
Physical therapy sessions are typically tailored to the child’s age and specific needs, making it an effective complement to other OAB treatments.
Long-Term Outlook for Children with Overactive Bladder
What is the long-term prognosis for children with overactive bladder? The outlook is generally positive. Many children outgrow OAB symptoms as they get older, with bladder control improving naturally over time. However, the timeline can vary significantly from child to child.
For those who continue to experience symptoms into adolescence or adulthood, ongoing management may be necessary. The good news is that with proper treatment and support, most individuals with OAB can lead normal, active lives with minimal disruption from their symptoms.
It’s important to note that early intervention and consistent management can significantly improve outcomes. Regular follow-ups with healthcare providers can help monitor progress and adjust treatment plans as needed.
Emerging Treatments for Pediatric Overactive Bladder
Research into overactive bladder in children is ongoing, and new treatment options are continually being explored. Some emerging treatments include:
- Botulinum toxin injections: While primarily used in adults, research is being conducted on its safety and efficacy in children with severe OAB.
- Neuromodulation: This technique involves stimulating specific nerves to improve bladder control.
- Gene therapy: Early research is exploring genetic approaches to treating OAB.
- Stem cell therapy: This innovative approach aims to regenerate damaged bladder tissue.
While these treatments are still in various stages of research and development, they offer hope for improved management of OAB in children in the future.
Supporting Children with Overactive Bladder at School
Managing overactive bladder symptoms at school can be challenging for children. How can parents and educators support children with OAB in the school environment? Consider these strategies:
- Open communication: Inform teachers and school staff about the child’s condition and needs.
- Bathroom passes: Arrange for the child to have unrestricted bathroom access when needed.
- Discreet signal system: Establish a private signal between the child and teacher for indicating bathroom needs.
- Extra clothing: Keep a change of clothes at school in case of accidents.
- Hydration management: Work with teachers to ensure the child stays hydrated without exacerbating symptoms.
- Education: Teach classmates about bladder health to foster understanding and reduce stigma.
By creating a supportive school environment, children with OAB can focus on their studies and social interactions without undue stress about their condition.
The Importance of Regular Follow-ups
Regular medical follow-ups are crucial for children with overactive bladder. Why are consistent check-ups important for managing pediatric OAB? Here are some reasons:
- Monitor progress: Regular visits allow doctors to track improvements or changes in symptoms.
- Adjust treatment: As the child grows, treatment plans may need to be modified for optimal effectiveness.
- Address complications: Early detection of any related issues or complications is possible through regular check-ups.
- Provide support: Ongoing medical support can help both children and parents manage the condition more effectively.
- Update strategies: As new treatments become available, regular visits ensure that the child has access to the most current and effective management strategies.
Parents should work closely with their child’s healthcare provider to establish an appropriate follow-up schedule based on the child’s individual needs and symptoms.
Overactive Bladder, Frequent Urination, & Incontinence in Children
Overactive bladder can cause urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary release of urine. Children as well as adults can have an overactive bladder. Although each child is unique, most children are able to stay dry during the day by the age of 4 and through the night by 5 or 6..
What Are the Signs of Overactive Bladder in Children?
A child with an overactive bladder will need to urinate frequently and, at times, the need may be urgent. They may not make it to the toilet before the urine begins to flow.
What Causes Overactive Bladder in Children?
Children with overactive bladders have a need to urinate more often than usual because their bladder muscles have uncontrollable spasms. The muscles surrounding the urethra — the tube from the bladder that urine passes through — can be affected. These muscles are meant to prevent urine from leaving the body, but they may be “overridden” if the bladder undergoes a strong contraction.
Urinary tract infections can cause a need to urinate as the urinary tract becomes inflamed and uncomfortable. Certain neurological conditions may cause these symptoms.
Another cause of overactive bladder is a condition called pollakiuria, or frequent daytime urination syndrome. Children who have pollakiuria urinate frequently. In some cases, they may urinate every five to 10 minutes or urinate between 10 and 30 times a day. This condition is most common among children aged 3 to 8 and is present only during waking hours. There are no other symptoms present. Doctors believe that pollakiuria is related to stress. Usually, the condition goes away after two to three weeks without requiring treatment.
Other causes of overactive bladder in children include:
- consumption of caffeine, which increases urine output and can cause spasms in the bladder muscle
- consumption of ingredients that a child may be allergic to
- events that cause anxiety
- infrequent urination (holding urine for too long a period of time)
- small bladder capacity
- structural abnormalities in the bladder or urethra
- constipation
- refraining from completely emptying the bladder when on the toilet
- obstructive slep apnea
How Is Overactive Bladder Treated in Children?
In most cases, children outgrow the problem of an overactive bladder. For each year after the age of 5, the number of overactive bladder cases declines by 15%. The child may learn to respond in a more timely manner to the body’s signals to urinate or bladder capacity may increase over time. In addition, overactive bladders can “settle down,” often when stressful events or experiences have ended.
If the child does not outgrow the condition, treatments can include bladder training and medication. In bladder training, the child uses exercises to strengthen and coordinate the urethra and bladder muscles to control urination. Such exercises teach the child to prevent urinating when away from the toilet and to anticipate the urge to urinate. Additional techniques to help overactive bladder include:
- avoiding caffeine or other ingredients that may encourage overactive bladder
- using timed voiding, or urinating on a schedule — for example, every two hours
- adopting healthy urination habits, such as taking enough time to urinate and relaxing muscles during urination
What Medications Are Used to Treat Overactive Bladder in Children?
The medication oxybutynin is used to control such problems as urgent, uncontrolled, or frequent urination and other conditions that affect the bladder muscles. Oxybutynin works by relaxing the bladder muscles to prevent urinary problems. However, there are newer drugs available that may have fewer side effects.
If overactive bladder is caused by a urinary tract infection, your child’s doctor may prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection.
Is Bedwetting Related to Overactive Bladder in Children?
Yes. Some of the same conditions or circumstances that increase the likelihood of nighttime incontinence may — in combination with infrequent urination — result in incontinence during the day. These conditions and circumstances include pressure from a hard bowel movement or other causes listed above.
Another cause of nighttime incontinence is related to the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which the body produces to slow urine production. Children tend to produce more ADH at night, so there is less need to urinate. If the body does not produce enough ADH, the production of urine may not slow and the bladder may overfill, leading to bedwetting.
Some other potential causes of bedwetting include:
- Family history
- Stress and life changes like a new sibling, changes in living circumstances
- Sleep disruptions
- Type 1 Diabetes- also causes increase thirst and urination
What Additional Methods Can Be Used to Treat Bedwetting?
In the vast majority of children, bedwetting improves on its own over time, so treatment is not needed. If bedwetting is a significant problem for a child, there are seevralk ways to apprioach bedwetting
Cut back on their liquid intake well before bedtime, particularly anything that includes caffeine. Encourage your child to not only use the bathroom 15 minutes before bed, but again just before you tuck them in. Often times, they pee only enough so they no longer feel the urge and may not be emptying their bladder. Remove any sleep disrupters from their room, like pets or electronics.
Another treatment for bedwetting is a moisture alarm. This device includes a water-sensitive pad with a wire connected to a control unit. When moisture is detected, an alarm sounds, waking the child. In some cases, another person may need to be in the room to waken the child if they do not do so on their own.
Setting an alarm so the child wakes up to urinate – timed voiding – may also work to reduce bedwetting at night.
If these methods aren’t working, medication Increasing levels of ADH might help treat nighttime incontinence. Desmopressin, or DDAVP, is a synthetic version of ADH. This drug, which is approved for use in children, comes in pills, nose drops, or nasal spray.
In addition, the drug imipramine can be used. This medication affects the brain as well as the bladder. According to researchers, an estimated 70% of kids who wet the bed may be helped by the use of these drugs.
If there is an accident, don’t scold or punish them, because this can add stress and shame which may result in more accidents or even attempts to hide their bedwetting.
Keep track of the victories and reward them. It will also help you see what is working and identify any patterns.
Why Am I Peeing So Much? 11 Causes of Peeing All the Time
Since you’re reading this article, we’re going to hazard a guess that at some point, you’ve asked yourself, “Seriously, why am I peeing so much?!” Getting to the bottom of why you’re peeing all the time is, shall we say, a pretty urgent matter. Call it a pressing question, both because it’s important to figure out ASAP and, wow, doesn’t it feel like someone is just shoving your bladder when you really have to go?
Wasting your precious time peeing way too much can feel like an annoying bodily betrayal, but it can also raise some red flags about your health. Before we dive into what might be causing you to pee a lot, we should first clear up what counts as peeing “too much,” medically speaking. It’s actually completely normal to need to pee between four and eight times a day, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you’re in that ballpark, kudos to you and your bladder. If you’re hitting up the bathroom to pee more than that, read on for potential reasons you might be peeing all the time.
1. You’re drinking too much water.
Let’s start with the really intuitive and also super easy to fix cause of peeing all the time. What goes in must come out, right? The more liquids you drink, the more you’ll generally need to pee. So, if you’re going a lot, you should first take a look at how much water you’re taking in, Tanaka Dune, M.D., a urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, tells SELF. “When you drink too much, your body will excrete what it does not need,” she says.
Your water needs are pretty individual, so you might need more or less than others depending on factors like your size, body type, and activity level. With that said, the Mayo Clinic recommends women have around 11.5 cups of fluids a day, including from water, other beverages, and food.
You can tell whether you’re getting as much fluid as you should through the color of your pee. If it’s light yellow or clear, that means you’re drinking enough liquids to adequately dilute the pigment urochrome, which helps to give pee its characteristic color. That’s a sign that you’re doing a great job staying hydrated.
But if your pee is always crystal clear and you feel like you’re spending your life in the bathroom, you may be drinking too much water. This is rarely dangerous, the Mayo Clinic says, but easing up can help you curb how much time you’re spending on the toilet.
2. You’re accidentally loading up on diuretics.
Drinks like coffee, soda, and tea can act as diuretics, meaning they may boost your peeing frequency. Diuretics work by increasing the amount of salt and water that comes out of your kidneys, making you pee more in the process. Though beverages like coffee and tea can raise your overall water consumption (and help you make it through the day without your mood intact), lowering your intake might help you pee less frequently.
Certain medications can also act as diuretics. Some meds to treat high blood pressure contain diuretics, and some birth control pills like Yaz have drospirenone, a kind of progestin related to the diuretic spironolactone.
3. You have a urinary tract infection.
As if we could get away with not talking about this one! A urinary tract infection happens when bacteria, usually from your bowel, makes its way to your bladder, urethra (a duct connected to your urethra—this is where pee comes from), ureters (the tubes connecting your bladder and urethra), or kidneys, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). However, most UTIs happen in the bladder, the NIDDK says. In response to the infection, your bladder becomes inflamed and irritated, which can make it feel like you have to go 24/7 even if you don’t actually have much pee in your system. Having a UTI can also just suck incredibly hard overall and cause intense burning and pain when you do try to pee.
Causes, Treatment & When to Call Doctor
Overview
What is frequent urination?
Inconvenient and disruptive to your daily life, frequent urination is when you need to urinate many times throughout a 24-hour period. This is a symptom of many different conditions and can have a wide variety of solutions. At some points in your life, like during pregnancy, you may need to pee more frequently. This can be a normal symptom of something like pregnancy and it usually passes after birth. However, frequent urination can be linked to other health issues that aren’t normal parts of life and don’t fade over time. It can be a symptom of more serious conditions like diabetes, overactive bladder syndrome, UTIs or prostate problems. Needing to urinate frequently can even disturb your sleep. That full bladder that keeps waking you up in the middle of an otherwise good night’s sleep is a condition called nocturia.
In many cases, your healthcare provider can help relieve this symptom by treating the underlying condition.
Who experiences frequent urination?
The need to urinate is something that everyone feels. This shared experience isn’t always consistent though. Sometimes you may need to urinate much more often than what is typical for you. This can happen to anyone. Men, women, and children can all have this symptom. However, it’s more common at certain times in your life or when you have other conditions. You’re more likely to frequently urinate if you’re:
- A middle-age or old adult.
- Pregnant.
- Have an enlarged prostate.
Possible Causes
What causes frequent urination?
There are actually many different conditions that could cause frequent urination. Many of these causes are based on your age, gender or possibly even both. You could experience frequent urination a few times throughout your life for different reasons. These conditions can range from minor—and easily manageable—to more serious issues.
Urinary tract and bladder conditions It may seem obvious, but issues with your urinary tract and bladder are some of the most common conditions to cause frequent urination. Urinary tract infections (UTI), in particular, are the most common cause of frequent urination. During a UTI, an outside infection enters the body and causes inflammation (swelling) in your urinary system. This system is made up of the kidneys, ureters (tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), bladder and urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). Other conditions in this system that can cause frequent urination to include interstitial cystitis (a painful bladder condition where you feel an increased need to urinate) and overactive bladder syndrome. In very rare cases, frequent urination can be a symptom of bladder cancer.
Pregnancy During pregnancy, the bladder gets squished as the baby takes up more and more space inside of your body. Frequent urination is a very common and normal symptom of pregnancy. Interestingly, you will experience this symptom more during your first and third trimesters—the second trimester is a slight reprieve because the uterus is higher in your body, taking some pressure off your bladder. This symptom shouldn’t be an issue in the weeks and months after childbirth as your body returns to its not-pregnant “normal. ” You may be encouraged to do Kegel exercises (muscle contraction exercises that work out your pelvic floor) to avoid bladder problems like urine leakage (incontinence).
Diabetes Frequent urination is actually a very common symptom of diabetes. You may have it if you have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The cause of this symptom is tied to a circular pattern happening with your kidneys. In diabetes, your body isn’t controlling the amount of sugar in your blood—which the kidneys are responsible for cleaning. As the kidneys do overtime to filter the blood, there is extra fluid that needs to leave the body. The more you need to urinate, and that fluid leaves your body, the more you drink to keep hydrated. This keeps the circle going.
Prostate problems In men, the prostate is a golf-ball-sized gland that makes some of the liquid that comes out during ejaculation. Your prostate grows as you do, but it can cause issues if it gets too large. A large prostate can place pressure on your urinary system and cause frequent urination. Conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) – prostate enlargement, are all fairly common and treatable by your doctor. Other conditions that could cause frequent urination can include:
- Having a stroke.
- Developing a pelvic tumor.
- Using diuretics (medications that help remove extra salt and water from the body through urine).
- Having vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina).
- Having a prolapse of the female pelvic organs through the vagina.
- Radiation therapy to the pelvic area.
- Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine.
Care and Treatment
Should I be worried if I have these conditions and frequent urination?
If you ever have a symptom that is outside of what’s normal for your body, reach out to your healthcare provider. In some cases, pregnancy, for example, frequent urination is completely normal and nothing to worry about. However, in some conditions, your caregiver may want to know if you are urinating much more than you typically do. There’s a very wide range of conditions—with varying levels of seriousness—that could cause frequent urination. It is always safe to discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider.
How do I know if it’s frequent urination?
The characteristics of frequent urination are easy to spot. If you feel the need to pee more than four to eight times in one day, odds are that you have issues with frequent urination. Your healthcare provider may ask you a few questions to confirm this symptom. These could include questions like:
- What medicines are you taking?
- How much fluid do you usually drink?
- Are you drinking more than usual?
- Do you drink alcohol or caffeine?
During a visit, the healthcare provider may also take a urine sample to test for bacteria and white blood cells. UTIs are typically discovered this way. An ultrasound could be used to look for tumors or other structural issues that might be causing frequent urination. Another test you may have is a cystoscopy, which is used to look inside your bladder.
Can frequent urination be controlled or stopped?
Frequent urination can be controlled, and often, stopped over time and with treatment. Your healthcare provider will usually start by determining the cause of your symptom. If the condition can be treated, you should see a decrease in how often you need to urinate. Treatment depends completely on the condition. In cases like a UTI, you may need an antibiotic medication. This may be prescribed by your healthcare provider and you should feel better once you have finished the medication. Other conditions like diabetes or prostate problems will require a trip to see a specialist. The specialist will work with you to manage your symptoms and improve your daily routine. If your healthcare provider has diagnosed you with overactive bladder syndrome, pelvic floor physical therapy may help and there are actually several medications that can be used to calm your bladder. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not these might be good options for you.
What can I do to control frequent urination?
There are several lifestyle changes and non-medicated ways to manage your frequent urination. These can include:
- Avoiding drinking fluids before going to bed.
- Limiting the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink.
- Doing Kegel exercises to build up strength in your pelvic floor. These muscles support the organs in the pelvis, including your bladder. Kegel exercises are often prescribed to women after childbirth because of the stress having a baby places on the pelvic floor muscles.
- Wearing a protective pad or underwear to avoid leaks. This is a short-term solution that can help you keep living your life while your condition is being treated.
When to Call the Doctor
When should I reach out to my doctor about frequent urination?
Because the conditions behind frequent urination can range wildly from casual to severe, you should speak to your doctor about anything outside of your typical urination patterns. In some cases, frequent urination may be just an annoying symptom that will end when you cut back on the caffeine—or have the baby. However, if you are unsure why you’re urinating so frequently, it is best to set up an appointment and talk about it. This is a symptom that can often be treated and isn’t something that you need to just “deal with.”
There are a few signs to keep an eye out for and call your doctor immediately if you have them with frequent urination. These include:
- If you have a fever.
- If you are vomiting.
- If you have back pain (lower back and towards the sides—over your kidneys).
- If you see blood in your urine.
- If you have a discharge coming out of your vagina or penis.
Frequent Urination – Reasons You Might Be Peeing So Much
If you’re guzzling liter after liter of water during the day, you’re bound to take frequent trips to the bathroom. To some degree, this is good for you, because urinating literally flushes out your waste. But just how much is too much peeing?
If you’re outside your normal realm for trips to the bathroom, you may need to figure out what changed in your lifestyle that could be giving you the urge so often, or if that’s elusive, see your doctor for an exam.
If you’re hitting the bathroom every hour or so, your bladder might be trying to tell you something. Jamin Brahmbhatt, M.D., a urologist with Orlando Health, says if you’re otherwise healthy, peeing more frequently than eight times a day and more than once at night could be viewed as abnormal.
It does vary though—if you’re drinking a lot of water or other liquids, it’s not irregular to urinate up to 10 times per day, adds Sunitha Posina, MD, NYC-area internist. And certain medications like diuretics for high blood pressure may cause people to “go” more, too.
Yet, for the most part six to eight times is the sweet spot and in the normal range.
“People who have ‘normal’ bladders are usually able to ‘hold it’ for a reasonable amount of time without the urge to urinate coming on all of a sudden unless they have just consumed a large amount of fluid,” says Dr. Posina.
Here’s what could be going on to cause the frequent urination.
You might have an overactive bladder.
If you constantly need to pee, and really can’t hold it in, know this—you’re not alone. In fact, overactive bladder (OAB) affects about 30% of men in the United States, says Kerem Bortecen MD, PhD of NYC Surgical Associates. “While men at a younger age (18-29) can be affected, the prevalence sharply increases four fold among men older than age 60,” he explains. Men with prostate problems or neurologic diseases, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis are more prone to this condition as well, he says.
So what’s going on, exactly? When you suffer from OAB, you lack the ability to hold urine in. “You may experience ‘urge incontinence’ which is an uncontrollable loss or spillage of urine, too,” Dr. Posina adds. OAB might leave you tossing and turning, with frequent trips to the bathroom throughout the night.
“People with OAB tend to wake up frequently at night to go the bathroom, and this frequent contraction of bladder muscles causes a sudden, strong need to urinate even when the bladder is not completely full,” says Dr. Bortecen.
You might have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
While UTIs are most often thought of as a female-oriented condition, men can get UTIs too. And a UTI can lead to symptoms of an overactive bladder, says Dr. Brahmbatt.
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Most men get bladder infections because they are not peeing as often as they should, but they can also arise from constipation, recent surgeries in the urinary tract, kidney stones, or having unprotected anal sex, he says. (Men with shorter urethras are more susceptible to this condition.)
“Because the anus has tons of bacteria, the main one being E.coli, if you are having unprotected sex, then these bugs can track up into the urethra and cause infections,” he says. “The infection irritates the bladder and basically angers the bladder wall, which makes you go more often.”
Unlike OAB, the symptoms of a UTI will be sudden and short-lived. Antibiotics can help clear up most urinary tract infections.
You might have interstitial cystitis.
Interstitial cystitis, also known as “painful bladder syndrome,” is a chronic condition that can cause frequent urination, as well as bladder pressure and pain, says Dr. Bortecen. While a UTI might be caused by an infection and can easily be treated with antibiotics, interstitial cystitis is a longer-term condition that is not as easily treatable.
“People with this condition feel urgency and tend to urinate more often, with smaller volumes of urine than most people,” says Dr. Bortecen. “The condition comes from an immune reaction to the bladder from an irritating substance in the urine that damages the bladder, causing the sensation of urgency, as well as bladder spasms.”
Unfortunately, diagnosing IC can be tricky, as it’s often undetected or misdiagnosed as something else. “Diagnosis and treatment of this condition are very similar to overactive bladder,” he says. Because IC is thought to be an autoimmune condition, certain immunosuppressive medications, such as Cyclosporine, have been successfully used to treat it.
You might have diabetes.
Frequent urination is often an early symptom of diabetes, as the body is attempting to get rid of unused glucose through the urine, says Christopher Hollingsworth, M.D., of NYC Surgical Associates.
Because diabetes causes excess sugar in the blood, the kidneys are forced to take it in, and if they can’t maintain this, that excess sugar will get released through urine, causing you to run to the bathroom. When you’re urinating so often, you’re losing fluids, forcing your body to reach for fluids from your tissues to compensate, which can lead to dehydration.
Because excessive thirst is common in diabetics to begin with, you’re probably increasing your daily water intake to begin with, causing you to pee more. And if you’re peeing too often, you’re only exacerbating your dehydration levels. Thus, the cycle repeats itself.
You might have Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
If you’re having trouble getting a steady stream going, it could possibly be linked to an underlying prostate condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate. At first, you might notice a “decreased urine stream, where your urine just doesn’t come out as forcefully, and that it just doesn’t hit the wall like it used to,” says Hollingsworth.
In fact, “it also may take longer to empty a full bladder after some time with experiencing an over-full bladder, and it actually can injure the muscle of the bladder wall, leading to increasingly more bladder distention and damage,” he says. When this condition reaches its more advanced stages, it can become difficult even to initiate urination, and this is bad news, as you have to pass urine more frequently as is, he says.
Luckily, alpha-blockers, antihistamines, and amitriptyline (an antidepressant) can help as potential treatments, he says. You can also try prostate artery embolization, a noninvasive procedure that can help shrink the enlarged prostate gland. But be warned: while it’s safe and effective, side effects can include blood in the urine, semen, or rectum, along with bladder pain, says Dr. Bortecen.
You could have a rare medical condition
In rare cases, frequent urination can be a symptom of bladder cancer, says Dr. Brahmbhatt. The cancer can irritate your bladder, causing increased urination. “The only way to know for sure you don’t have cancer is to get yourself checked by a urologist, but bladder cancer is not common, so don’t freak out — you probably do not have it,” he says. It’s also worth noting that other symptoms, such as blood in the urine, commonly present with bladder cancer, so if you’re just peeing a lot and not experiencing any other symptoms, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
Frequent urination can also be the byproduct of a stroke. “Sometimes when men have had strokes, this can lead to nerve damage within the nerves that go to the bladder. This can cause either going too much or having retention where you can not pee at all,” he says.
How To Quit Peeing (As Much)
The good news? For many of these conditions, you can mitigate the symptoms with a few lifestyle tweaks, says Dr. Bortecen. “Urologists recommend patients with overactive bladder keep a bladder diary to track trips to the bathroom and any urine leak,” he says. Avoiding a few food and drink triggers, such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, soda, citrus fruit, tomatoes, chocolate, and spicy food, could also help. These triggers are highly acidic in nature, which can cause irritation to the bladder. (Here’s why your poop burns after eating spicy foods.)
To reduce frequent urination, men can also work on timed peeing. This means that you follow a daily bathroom schedule. Instead of going when you feel the urge, you go at set times during the day, says Dr. Posina.
You can also do kegel exercises to decrease urination frequency. They are typically done halfway through urination to stop or slow down the flow of urine. “Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor and relax the bladder,” says Dr. Bortecen.
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10 Reasons Why You Always Have to Pee, According to a Urogynecologist
This article was medically reviewed by Shonda Hawkins, MSN, a member of the Prevention Medical Review Board, on March 29, 2019.
Picture this: You enter a movie theater. You’re so excited to see the movie. But before you even think about locating the exact theater where your movie is playing, you look for the nearest bathroom. Or this: You’re about to buy plane tickets for a long overdue vacation somewhere tropical, somewhere exotic, but you wouldn’t dare book a window seat. You need the aisle for its easy access to the restroom. And you know not to wing it on road trips, especially after lunch—you always, always hit the bathroom before getting back in the car.
This is because you always, always, always have to pee. Why did the universe curse you with this plague? Turns out, there’s some science behind this—plus a few ways to distance yourself from yet another public stall:
Your perception of “always” might be off.
It may sound like a lot, but peeing roughly eight times a day is normal, says Betsy A. B. Greenleaf, DO, a urogynecologist based in New Jersey. “Even though it’s annoying,” she adds, “getting up once during the night is also considered normal.” If you’re frustrated by how much time you spend going to and from the restroom, consider keeping a diary to log your bathroom breaks. When you actually tally up your trips, what feels like a lot might be totally normal.
You really could have a small bladder.
It’s a classic excuse among frequent pee-ers: “I just have a small bladder!” Turns out, there’s some truth to this. “Anatomically, everybody can be different, just like some people are tall and some people are short,” Greenleaf says.
Most bladders hold about two cups of fluid. If you’re going to the bathroom frequently and producing less than that, that’s probably not normal, says Dr. Tamara Bavendam, MD, program director of the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. And yes, you should actually measure. Grab a container and see if you’re hitting one and a half to two cups, she says. (You may want to wait until you’re home alone for this particular science experiment.)
The good news for the small bladdered is that you can train yourself to hold more fluid. “When it’s full, it can stretch,” Greenleaf says. In tests of bladder capacity, teachers and nurses—people with limited time to hit the toilet—consistently rank the highest, she says. “Some people have this idea that it’s not good to hold urine in, so when they get the urge they run to the bathroom,” Greenleaf says. “That’s the opposite of stretching. If you give into the urges too often, you are training the bladder not to hold as much.” (Just don’t hold it so long that it starts to hurt.)
You could be inadvertently doing this if you’ve preemptively started emptying your bladder more frequently in just-in-case scenarios, like in hopes of warding off leakage, say, before a workout, Dr. Bavendam says. “A change in your habits to try to prevent leakage can contribute to this cycle of going more and more often, and then you feel like you need to go frequently.”
To train your small bladder to go longer between restroom breaks, Greenleaf recommends something called “timed voiding”:
• Urinate every 30 minutes for a day or two, whether you have to go or not.
• Add 15 minutes to the regimen: Urinate every 45 minutes for a day or two.
• Keep adding 15 minutes to this regimen, until over time you will have stretched the bladder out.
Speaking of going to the bathroom…is your #2 normal?
You’re drinking too little water.
Understandably, if you spend a lot of time thinking you have to pee, you might be inclined to dehydrate yourself just a touch. If you don’t drink as much, you won’t have to go as often, right? Turns out this way of thinking is bladder sabotage. “When you drink less, the urine becomes more concentrated, and the more concentrated it is the more irritating it can be to the bladder, which can trigger the sensation that you have to go more often,” Greenleaf says. “It you drink more fluids, you may actually be able to hold more, because the more dilute the urine is the less irritating it is to the bladder.”
Of course, you’ll also be rushing to pee if you really overdo it on the water, so just drink enough to keep your urine a light, straw-colored yellow, Dr. Bavendam says. (Stay hydrated with one of these insulated water bottles.)
You have an infection or kidney stones.
Both a urinary tract infection and the little crystal formations known as kidney stones can irritate the bladder (in the case of stones, it’s when they pass through the urinary tract and approach the bladder), increasing how often you feel you have to pee. Both usually also come with other symptoms, so you should get a hint that something’s up. “Usually a kidney stone will cause a lot of pain in the back or sides,” Dr. Bavendam says. “Typically with UTIs, the classic sign is urgency, feeling like you need to pee really badly, and it also usually hurts to urinate.”
Your pelvic-floor muscles are weak.
The stronger those down-there muscles, the easier it is to hold urine in, Greenleaf says. “A lot of women really don’t know how to tighten or relax the pelvic-floor muscles,” Dr. Bavendam says. Classic mistake: You get a strong urge to go and you literally run to the loo. “When you’re running, your body’s focused on running, not using your muscles to hold urine in your bladder,” she says. “Instead, it’s better to learn how to use your muscles to tighten the pelvic-floor area, let the urge subside, and walk to the bathroom.”
Yes, we’re talking about Kegel exercises. If you don’t already know, the exercises are performed by tightening and releasing the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine without moving anything else in your body. You can get the full scoop here. (Plus, here are 5 kegel exercise mistakes you’re probably making.)
This is especially useful advice for women after pregnancy and childbirth. Miraculous milestones, sure, but both can do very real damage and stretching to muscles and tissue, including the bladder.
There’s evidence women would fare better in the urinary department if more attention was paid to recovery, Dr. Bavendam says. “If you injured your leg muscle, you would work at rehabilitating it, but that has never been a part of the standard practice after childbirth,” she says. “Yes, a doctor might tell you to do your Kegels, but how does a woman really figure that out amongst taking care of her child and going to work? It can have a tremendous impact, but it has to be prioritized as being important to a woman’s long-term health. ”
Your bladder is legit overactive.
If you’re going a lot more often than every few hours, eight times a day, you might qualify as having an overactive bladder. It’s a condition more and more women find themselves in as they age, possibly because our nerves age along with us, Greenleaf says. We’re more likely to have other medical conditions that also affect how often we need to go, she explains, including back problems that could lead to vertebrae pushing on nerves that then make the bladder feel full.
Your doctor might want to test the strength of your stream or use an ultrasound to see if your bladder is emptying completely, Dr. Bavendam says. “An even more sophisticated test can measure bladder pressure for people who have had unexplained symptoms for a long time,” she says. If pelvic floor exercises and adjusting fluid intake don’t make a difference, prescription meds might help the bladder relax into holding more urine.
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You already take other meds.
Water pills or diuretics, often used to treat high blood pressure, “can cause the kidneys to make a lot of urine really quickly,” Dr. Bavendam says, which can send you rushing to the bathroom on the double. Another class of meds called anticholinergics, which are used to treat anxiety and depression, among other problems, can keep the bladder from emptying completely, she says, thereby leaving you feeling like you’ve gotta go again when you just went.
You could have diabetes.
If you’ve ruled out other causes, there’s a chance your constant peeing is due to diabetes. If your blood sugar’s high, the kidneys won’t be able to process all of it, and some can spill into the urine. That sugar will essentially pull more water out of you, Dr. Bavendam says, so you’ll be generating more pee. Even eating food or candy with a lot of sugar is enough to make you go more frequently. “You could go to the bathroom every hour and still see two cups every time,” she says. “That’s not a bladder problem, it’s a problem with the amount of urine you’re producing.”
You’re freezing.
When the temperature drops, your body wants to do everything in its power to keep you warm. “Part of that process involves constricting the blood vessels in your extremities, to keep body heat from leaving,” Greenleaf says.
But, she says, “the body is a unit.” Constricted vessels in your feet, hands, legs, and arms shifts more blood to your core, which increases blood pressure in the vessels there. Then, your body reacts to that elevated blood pressure, wanting to normalize it. It does this by getting rid of extra fluids, just like some common meds for high blood pressure, in a process called diuresis.
“Because you are physically making more urine, the bladder is filling more quickly and frequently, so you need to pee more,” Greenleaf says. When it’s all due to the weather? Cold diuresis.
Something more serious is going on.
Small bladder or not, many of us just figure the way we pee is…the way we pee. But a sudden change in frequency or a really powerful urge is something you should bring up with your doc, as it could be a sign of underlying health problems, Greenleaf says. Herniated discs, for example, may be compressing the nerves. In some people, peeing a lot can be the first sign of multiple sclerosis. Tumors growing in the abdomen could press on the bladder. Luckily, these are all rare, but just to be safe, don’t chalk it up to simply getting leakier with age.
Sarah Klein
Sarah Klein is a Boston-based writer, editor, and personal trainer currently with LIVESTRONG.com, and previously of Health.com, Prevention magazine, and The Huffington Post.
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Frequent Urination Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Frequent urination is often caused by diseases that affect parts of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Other conditions, such as diabetes, prostate problems, and pregnancy are also common causes of frequent urination. (2)
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common cause of frequent urination. They occur when bacteria invade the urethra, which connects the penis or vagina to the bladder. This causes inflammation, which can decrease the bladder’s ability to hold urine. (3) UTIs can affect multiple parts of the urinary tract: Urethritis is the infection of the urethra, cystitis is infection of the bladder, and pyelonephritis is infection of the kidneys.
UTIs are common in women and girls. Additional symptoms typically include a burning sensation while urinating, as well as occasional fever, lower back pain, blood in urine, or foul-smelling urine. (2)
Diabetes Frequent urination can be a sign of uncontrolled type 1 or type 2 diabetes. When diabetes is not controlled, excess sugar causes more fluid to pass from the kidneys into urine. Uncontrolled diabetes is the most frequent cause of polyuria, or urinating more than normal. Additional signs may include excessive thirst and hunger, weight loss, fatigue, vision problems, and mood changes. (2)
If you think you may have diabetes, it’s important to speak with your doctor as soon as possible. Frequent urination can cause dehydration and lead to serious kidney problems, or diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma, conditions that can be life-threatening. (5)
Prostate problems An enlarged prostate can cause the contraction of the bladder and affect urine flow. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, a noncancerous enlarged prostate is the most common cause of frequent urination in men over age 50. Additional symptoms may include difficulty urinating, dribbling of urine, getting up frequently at night to urinate, and a sense that urination is incomplete. (2)
Pregnancy Frequent urination during pregnancy is not a sign of any medical problem, and it usually occurs during the last few months of pregnancy. A growing uterus and fetus put pressure on the bladder, which must be emptied more often. This may also cause urine to leak during a sneeze or cough. Pregnant women are also at increased risk for urinary tract infections.
Additional medical causes of frequent urination can include: (6)
Drinking alcohol and caffeine can also cause more frequent urination.
Certain medications can also cause frequent urination. Diuretics such as Lasix (furosemide), Demadex (torsemide), Bumex (bumetanide), Maxzide (triamterene with hydrochlorothiazide), and Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, or Oretic (hydrochlorothiazide) can increase your kidneys’ urine production. Sedatives and muscle relaxants including Valium (diazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), and Ativan (lorazepam) can also cause frequent urination. (7)
Kids who can’t stop going
Over the last few years, I have been noticing an uptick in a common, but concerning, parental concern.
The triage notes from our nurse usually state “frequent urination.” The parents’ concerns are comparable. “My 4-year-old son has been peeing every five to 10 minutes.” Or, “I’m worried that my 4-year-old daughter has a urinary tract infection.” Sometimes it’s, “I think my 6-year-old son has diabetes like me.”
Stories of disruptions in school from frequent bathroom breaks, or problems with long car rides because of their child needing to pee, are frequent themes from worried parents.
>>READ MORE: The stress of poverty is a serious disease for Philly kids.
Medical students and residents who are still in the early parts of their training echo these concerns.
“I think he/she might have a urinary tract infection,” a first-year pediatric resident said after completing a lengthy history and physical exam. “I’m worried about diabetes in this 4-year-old,” a third-year medical student stated with confidence, as he described the sudden onset of frequent urination in the patient he just examined.
After delving a little more deeply into the history of each one of these children, what are almost always missing are the other telltale signs of a UTI, such as pain with urination. Nor do we hear about constipation, which can push on the bladder, causing more need to pee. Or a child drinking more than usual, starting to wet the bed, or experiencing weight loss, all signs of type 1 diabetes.
After hearing the parents, residents, and medical students stories, and after performing my own history and physical exam, I perform a urinalysis in my office, confident that it will be normal. I’m also confident that the child who can’t hold his urine in for more than a few minutes has a disorder that is medically benign, but potentially more difficult than those that respond to medication.
The diagnosis in almost all these children, is pollakiuria, from the Greek pollakis, meaning often. The other name for this medically benign condition is a mouthful: extraordinary daytime urinary frequency syndrome. The hallmark is usually an abrupt change in normal voiding pattern with children urinating sometimes every five to 10 minutes. The peak age is 5- to 6-years-old, but can occur from ages 3 to 14. There usually is a small amount of urine with each void with no pain with urination, incontinence, or change in urine appearance.
The differential diagnosis varies from worrisome possibilities such as a UTI, to diabetes or even a spinal cord injury or infection. When there are no symptoms besides frequent urination, and both the physical exam and urinalysis are normal, I probe a little deeper and usually discover the most common cause of pollakiuria: stress.
So what is stressing these children? Once I explain the diagnosis, and convey that their child doesn’t have an infection or diabetes, I gently ask about any recent stressors in their family. A few years ago, that question uncovered domestic violence in the home of a child with pollakiuria. Another child had been bullied in school prior to the start of their symptoms. Other stressors include the recent death of a loved one, a parental separation, and several poverty-related stressors such as food insecurity or eviction from a stable, familiar housing situation.
As a recent op-ed in the Inquirer pointed out, 126,521 children in Philadelphia live in poverty. In many cases, these children experience poorer health outcomes.
With Philadelphia being the most impoverished large American city, the effects of deprivation on its children — including pollakiuria — will continue unless there are strategic interventions to address poverty.
Daniel R. Taylor, D.O., is an associate professor at Drexel University College of Medicine and director of community pediatrics and child advocacy at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer and its affiliates.
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Frequent daytime urination in children (pollakiuria)
Does your child urinate frequently? In the general analysis of urine, there are no changes, symptoms of dysuria, fever – no? At the same time, the child goes to the toilet every 10 minutes a little during the day, and at night he sleeps peacefully, as if he is completely healthy? You went to the pediatrician and he ruled out cystitis?
In the event that frequent urination is associated with fever, and / or painful urination and other signs of trouble, first of all, you should suspect a urinary tract infection (UTI) in a child
This is pollakiuria .This is what is written about this disease in the most authoritative in the world, modern textbook “Pediatrics according to Nelson” (translation of the quote into Russian)
Urinary disorder without incontinence
Sometimes children experience a sudden, significant increase in urinary frequency, sometimes every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day, with no symptoms of dysuria, urinary tract infection, daytime urinary incontinence, or nocturia.
The most common age for the onset of these symptoms is 4-6 years after the child learns to use the toilet, and the vast majority of patients are boys.
This condition is referred to as “children’s daytime urinary frequency” or pollakiuria . State is functional , that is, it does not have any anatomical or physiological defects.
Symptoms often begin just before the child starts kindergarten or when the child is experiencing emotional stress due (most often) to family problems.
Such children should be screened for urinary tract infections, and the doctor should ensure that the child completely empties the bladder when urinating (for this, an ultrasound of the bladder after urination is performed)
Sometimes these signs can be caused by pinworms.
The disease goes away on its own, the symptoms are resolved within 2-3 months. Anticholinergic therapy rarely works.
This is how doctors briefly describe this disease in a textbook. They are told: exclude other diseases (cystitis, diabetes mellitus and a few more) and boldly reassure the parents, you can promise them that everything will pass by itself.
But this is usually not enough for parents. After all, the child suffers, I want to help. To steer the parents’ efforts in the right direction, I recommend reading the following translated article.
About pollakiuria for parents
Pollakiuria. This syndrome is called differently in different sources: voiding disorders without incontinence, Patter of Little Feet Syndrome, Extraordinary daytime urinary frequency in children, The daytime urinary frequency syndrome of childhood, pollakiuria, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, neurogenic bladder, and so on … However, the essence of this phenomenon is the same. Let’s agree to call it pollakiuria now, for short.
What is pollakiuria?
Most often this disease manifests itself at the age of 4-5 years. You will notice that:
- Your child suddenly starts urinating every 10 – 30 minutes, and the total frequency of urination per day reaches 30 – 40 mictions per day.
- Your child produces a very small amount of urine in a single urination.
- Urination of the child is painless.
- Your child does not wet her panties, does not pee in her panties during the day.
- Your child is not drinking excessive amounts of liquids.
- Your child has already been trained in toilet skills and was neat – at the time of the onset of the illness.
- Frequent urination does not bother the child during sleep (an important distinguishing feature)
Causes of pollakiuria
Frequent urination sometimes accompanies emotional stress.This means that your child is under psychological pressure. Symptoms are involuntary, not intentional. Frequent urination may begin 1 or 2 days after a stressful event or changes in the child’s daily routine. You can make the problem worse by worrying too much about your child’s condition . Punishments, reproaches, ridicule – also aggravate the symptoms.
Although this condition rarely hides organic pathology, your child should still be examined by a doctor.The only study that will be required is a general urinalysis to rule out cystitis. There is no need for an X-ray examination.
Duration of pollakiuria
This disease is absolutely harmless and goes away on its own. Sometimes symptoms disappear after 1-4 weeks. But more often the disease lasts 2 or 3 months. Rare cases are described when the disease lasted for 5 months. In all cases, the disease went away on its own, without any consequences.Some children may have relapses of this disease, that is, it may recur after a full recovery.
How to help a child
1. Reassure your child that he is physically healthy. Tell the child that his body, kidneys, bladder … everything he worries about is in order. Because family members can convey their concerns to him, and he may be afraid that something is wrong with his body, that something is threatening him. Convince him as many times as you see fit – that he is healthy, that soon everything will pass without a trace.
2. Explain to your child that if he wants to, he can learn to wait longer periods of time between urination. Convince him that he most likely will not describe himself, because this is what the child is afraid of. If he nevertheless gets worn out – do not hesitate to talk to him about it, explain that this sometimes happens to children, there is nothing to worry about. Tell him that the return to normal urinary frequency will be gradual. If frequent urination bothers him while shopping or walking, try not to take him far out of the house during this period.
3. Help your child relax. The frequency of urination can be an indicator of internal tension. Make sure your child has free time and positive emotions, favorite activities every day. If he has obligatory tasks that he does on schedule, relax your discipline, step back a little from the regime. Relaxation exercises can help your child if they are over 8 years old.
4. Happiness and harmony in the home usually helps restore a child’s sense of security.Ask the staff of the school or kindergarten that the child is attending to relax the child’s discipline as much as possible and in no case limit him in the frequency and duration of visits to the toilet.
5. Try to find out what worries your child. Talk to other family members and think about any stressful moments that may have occurred 1 or 2 days before the onset of the illness. Ask the school and kindergarten staff about this topic. Discuss your thoughts with your child, try to identify and resolve the stressful situation, but remember that you should not be zealous in this – your anxiety and excessive fussiness can aggravate the symptoms.Frequent stressful events triggering this disease:
- death in the family
- accidents or other life-threatening events
- tension, quarrels between parents and other family members
- serious illness of a parent or other family member
- admission to primary school or change of school, collective
- Excessive concern about bedwetting, fear of urinary incontinence at night
90,054 cases when a child could not hold urine in the presence of peers (classmates, etc.)etc.).
6. Ignore frequent urination. When your child goes to the toilet very often, do not comment on it. The comments will remind him that these symptoms are bothering you. Avoid all frequency counting and urination volume measurements. Do not collect urine tests (unless directed by your doctor). Do not ask your child about his symptoms, do not look at him when he urinates. Don’t remind him that he has to do bladder stretching exercises, what he has to endure – that is his own task.Your child does not have to tell you about each urination or count them himself – all you need to do is maintain the most general control – whether the child is getting better or the symptoms are not changing yet.
7. Make sure that none of the adults (parents, grandmothers, older brother, educator, teacher, nanny …) punish the child for his symptoms, criticize, or allow himself to make fun of him. Stop all family talk about your baby’s urinary frequency. The less you talk about it, the less often your child will want to use the toilet.If your child brings up this topic on his own, reassure him that he will gradually get better and soon everything will pass.
8. Avoid getting soap on mucous membranes and other irritants of the perineum. Bubbling can lead to frequent urination in children, especially girls. Soap can irritate open mucous membranes in the urinary tract. Shower gel, hair shampoo, etc. – can cause these symptoms, getting into the urethra. In addition, before puberty, control the washing of the child with warm water, without soap, daily (just be interested, remind), make sure that the child’s genitals are clean.
Article source:
http://www.askthedoctoronline.co.za/…urination.html
You can read more about the disease here:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m…7/ai_13218673/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3184304
http://emedicine.medscape.com/articl…erview#showall
http://medind.nic.in/imvw/imvw17608.html
Russian traditions of treatment
Your doctor can offer your child therapy with m-anticholinergics (Driptan, etc.), antispasmodics (no-shpa, etc.), sedatives (valerian, motherwort, etc.), physiotherapy for the perineum (UHF) and general (electrosleep), homeopathy, herbal medicine etc.
You should be aware that all these methods have no proven effectiveness in this disease, and the side effects from them can be many times greater than the benefits of taking them. And the focusing of the child’s attention on the treatment, the expectation of a quick effect (“We go to physio, we drink all the pills – but he is not better” or “Well, are you going to get better, huh? Patience is not enough!”), Etc. etc. – can only intensify the symptoms and prolong the disease.
“Increased daytime urination in children (pollakiuria)” – Yandex.Kew
Does your child urinate frequently? In the general analysis of urine, there are no changes, symptoms of dysuria, fever – no? At the same time, the child goes to the toilet every 10 minutes a little during the day, and at night he sleeps peacefully, as if he is completely healthy? You went to the pediatrician and he ruled out cystitis?
This is pollakiuria . This is what is written about this disease in the most authoritative in the world, modern textbook Pediatrics according to Nelson (translation of the quote into Russian)
Disorder of urination without incontinence
Occasionally, children experience a sudden significant increase in urinary frequency, sometimes every 10-15 minutes throughout the day, with no symptoms of dysuria, urinary tract infection, daytime urinary incontinence, or nocturia.
The most common age of onset of these symptoms is 4-6 years after the child learns to use the toilet, and the vast majority of patients are boys.
This condition is referred to as Pediatric Daytime Urinary Frequency Syndrome or pollakiuria . State is functional , that is, it does not have any anatomical or physiological defects.
Symptoms often begin just before the child starts kindergarten or when the child is experiencing emotional stress due (most often) to family problems.
These children should be screened for urinary tract infections, and the doctor should make sure that the child completely empties the bladder when urinating (an ultrasound of the bladder is done after urinating for this)
Sometimes these signs can be caused
pinworms
…
The disease goes away on its own, the symptoms are resolved within 2-3 months. Anticholinergic therapy rarely works.
This is how doctors briefly describe this disease in a textbook.They are told: exclude other diseases (cystitis, diabetes mellitus and a few more) and boldly reassure the parents, you can promise them that everything will pass by itself.
But this is usually not enough for parents. After all, the child suffers, I want to help. To steer the parents’ efforts in the right direction, I recommend reading the following translated article.
About pollakiuria for parents
Pollakiuria. This syndrome is called differently in different sources: voiding disorders without incontinence, Patter of Little Feet Syndrome, Extraordinary daytime urinary frequency in children, The daytime urinary frequency syndrome of childhood, pollakiuria, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, neurogenic bladder, and so on …However, the essence of this phenomenon is the same. Let’s agree to call it pollakiuria now, for short.
What is pollakiuria?
Most often this disease manifests itself at the age of 4-5 years. You will notice that:
- Your child suddenly starts urinating every 10 – 30 minutes, and the total frequency of urination per day reaches 30 – 40 mictions per day.
- Your child produces a very small amount of urine in a single urination.
- Urination of the child is painless.
- Your child does not wet her panties, does not pee in her panties during the day.
- Your child is not drinking excessive amounts of liquids.
- Your child has already been trained in toilet skills and was neat – at the time of the onset of the illness.
- Frequent urination does not bother the child during sleep (an important distinguishing feature)
The causes of pollakiuria
Frequent urination sometimes accompanies emotional stress.This means that your child is under psychological pressure. Symptoms are involuntary, not intentional. Frequent urination may begin 1 or 2 days after a stressful event or changes in the child’s daily routine. You can make the problem worse by worrying too much about your child’s condition . Punishments, reproaches, ridicule – also aggravate the symptoms.
Although this condition rarely hides organic pathology, your child should still be examined by a doctor.The only study that will be required is a general urinalysis to rule out cystitis. There is no need for an X-ray examination.
Duration of pollakiuria
This disease is absolutely harmless and goes away on its own. Sometimes symptoms disappear after 1-4 weeks. But more often the disease lasts 2 or 3 months. Rare cases are described when the disease lasted for 5 months. In all cases, the disease went away on its own, without any consequences.Some children may have relapses of this disease, that is, it may recur after a full recovery.
How to help a child
1. Reassure the child that he is physically healthy. Tell the child that his body, kidneys, bladder … everything he worries about is in order. Because family members can convey their concerns to him, and he may be afraid that something is wrong with his body, that something is threatening him. Convince him as many times as you see fit – that he is healthy, that soon everything will pass without a trace.
2. Explain to your child that if he wants to, he can learn to wait longer periods of time between urination. Convince him that he most likely will not describe himself, because this is what the child is afraid of. If he nevertheless gets worn out – do not hesitate to talk to him about it, explain that this sometimes happens to children, there is nothing to worry about. Tell him that the return to normal urinary frequency will be gradual. If frequent urination bothers him while shopping or walking, try not to take him far out of the house during this period.
3. Help your child relax. The frequency of urination can be an indicator of internal tension. Make sure your child has free time and positive emotions, favorite activities every day. If he has obligatory tasks that he does on schedule, relax your discipline, step back a little from the regime. Relaxation exercises can help your child if they are over 8 years old.
4. Happiness and harmony in the home usually helps restore a child’s sense of security.Ask the staff of the school or kindergarten that the child is attending to relax the child’s discipline as much as possible and in no case limit him in the frequency and duration of visits to the toilet.
5. Try to find out what worries your child. Talk to other family members and think about any stressful moments that may have occurred 1 or 2 days before the onset of the illness. Ask the school and kindergarten staff about this topic. Discuss your thoughts with your child, try to identify and resolve the stressful situation, but remember that you should not be zealous in this – your anxiety and excessive fussiness can aggravate the symptoms.Frequent stressful events triggering this disease:
- death in the family
- accidents or other life-threatening events
- tension, quarrels between parents and other family members
- serious illness of a parent or other family member
- admission to primary school or change of school, collective
- Excessive concern about bedwetting, fear of urinary incontinence at night
90,054 cases when a child could not hold urine in the presence of peers (classmates, etc.)etc.).
6. Ignore frequent urination. When your child goes to the toilet very often, do not comment on it. The comments will remind him that these symptoms are bothering you. Avoid all frequency counting and urination volume measurements. Do not collect urine tests (unless directed by your doctor). Do not ask your child about his symptoms, do not look at him when he urinates. Don’t remind him that he has to do bladder stretching exercises, what he has to endure – that is his own task.Your child does not have to tell you about each urination or count them himself – all you need to do is maintain the most general control – whether the child is getting better or the symptoms are not changing yet.
7. Make sure that none of the adults (parents, grandmothers, older brother, educator, teacher, nanny …) punish the child for his symptoms, criticize, or allow himself to make fun of him. Stop all family talk about your baby’s urinary frequency. The less you talk about it, the less often your child will want to use the toilet.If your child brings up this topic on his own, reassure him that he will gradually get better and soon everything will pass.
8. Avoid getting soap on mucous membranes and other irritants of the perineum. Bubbling can lead to frequent urination in children, especially girls. Soap can irritate open mucous membranes in the urinary tract. Shower gel, hair shampoo, etc. – can cause these symptoms, getting into the urethra. In addition, before puberty, control the washing of the child with warm water, without soap, daily (just be interested, remind), make sure that the child’s genitals are clean.
Article source: http://www.askthedoctoronline.co.za/…urination.html You can read more about the disease here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m…7/ai_13218673/ http : //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3184304 http://emedicine.medscape.com/articl…erview#showall http://medind.nic.in/imvw/imvw17608.html
Russian traditions of treatment
Your doctor can offer your child therapy with m-anticholinergics (Driptan, etc.), antispasmodics (no-shpa, etc.), sedatives (valerian, motherwort, etc.), physiotherapy for the perineal region (UHF) and general ( electrosleep), homeopathy, herbal medicine and more.
You should be aware that all these methods have no proven effectiveness in this disease, and the side effects from them can be many times greater than the benefits of taking them. And the focusing of the child’s attention on the treatment, the expectation of a quick effect (We go to physio, we drink all the pills – but he is not better, or Well, are you going to get better, huh? Patience is not enough!), Etc. – can only intensify the symptoms and prolong the disease.
90,000 Frequent urination during pregnancy
You are wondering if frequent urination is one of the signs of pregnancy and when will you finally stop running to the toilet all the time.Frequent urination is a common symptom that appears during early pregnancy. However, you will again encounter this symptom at a later date, because the baby is growing, and the uterus grows and presses on the bladder. Of course, this is uncomfortable, but, as a rule, there is no cause for concern. Read this article to understand the causes of frequent urination during pregnancy, learn some tricks to help alleviate this situation, and learn to distinguish between symptoms that may signal a more serious problem, such as a urinary tract infection.
What are the causes of frequent urination during pregnancy?
An increase in blood volume in your body makes you go to the toilet frequently. To cope with the circulation of blood, the kidneys have to produce additional fluid, which ultimately enters the bladder. While frequent urination during pregnancy is uncomfortable, it is a normal and common symptom. We answer the most common questions about this symptom:
What is considered frequent urination during pregnancy? There is no clearly defined number of trips to the toilet – there will be more than usual.
When does frequent urination start during pregnancy? How quickly you encounter this symptom depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. But this usually happens in the sixth to eighth week of pregnancy.
Will I go to the toilet so often until I give birth? It will become a little easier during the second trimester of pregnancy, but later you will constantly want to go to the toilet again, because the grown up baby will press more and more on the bladder.By the end of the third trimester, when the fetus sinks lower, the pressure on the bladder and pelvis becomes even stronger, so you may want to go to the toilet all the time.
How often should you go to the toilet? As much as you need! You should not endure and hold back.
Secrets to help you cope with frequent urination during pregnancy
your health.Here are some tips to make your life a little easier.
Bend forward as you pee to help empty the bladder properly.
To prevent frequent urination at night, try not to drink too much water just before bed.
Avoid caffeinated foods and beverages, which will make you feel like you need to use the toilet more often.
Do Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.This will help prevent involuntary urination when you cough, sneeze, or laugh, both before and after childbirth. (If you experience involuntary urination when sneezing, use a pantyliner.)
If your urine is dark yellow or orange, it may indicate dehydration. Unless your doctor recommends limiting your fluid intake, drink enough fluid until your urine returns to its normal light yellow color.
If you are going somewhere or you have a long meeting, go to the toilet beforehand. Find out in advance where the nearest toilet is so that the need does not catch you by surprise.
Can frequent urination during pregnancy be a symptom of a health problem?
Frequent urination is usually a common and normal symptom of pregnancy. However, sometimes it signals the following diseases.
Infections of the genitourinary system. Many women wonder if frequent urination is normal for pregnancy or if it is due to an infection of the genitourinary system. If you have an infection, you will feel soreness and a burning sensation while urinating. You may have a high fever, cloudy urine, or traces of blood in it. You may want to use the toilet very badly, but in the end you only get a couple of drops out of yourself. Pregnant women are at risk from the sixth to the 24th week – during this time, infections of the genitourinary system can manifest themselves most easily.The fact is that the uterus enlarges and presses on the urethra, which increases the risk of bacterial infections. If you suspect you have an infection, see your doctor. You need treatment, possibly with antibiotics.
Gestational diabetes. Frequent urination may be a symptom of gestational diabetes. This is a temporary type of diabetes that a minority of expectant mothers face. As a rule, doctors refer the expectant mother for special screening tests between the 24th and 28th weeks.With proper treatment, gestational diabetes will not affect your baby’s health and will go away after childbirth. If frequent urination is accompanied by constant thirst, nausea, or weakness, contact your healthcare professional.
Frequent urination during early pregnancy is a common and common thing, and not a cause for concern. It may seem like you constantly want to use the toilet, but remember that you will have a little respite that will last until the last months of your pregnancy.After giving birth, the need to constantly go to the toilet will disappear, and then you will already be worried about the contents of the baby’s diapers!
We find out and fix the delicate problems of the pet
Puddles on carpets are not able to cause surprise only if they are left by a small puppy. However, if you have urinary incontinence in dogs, you may want to think about the problem. Naturally, conflict situations are possible when the pet demonstratively relieves it. But these are relationship problems.
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Natural Causes
Urinary incontinence in dogs – signs of a problem. And they arise not only in old age. It should be understood that a pet is an emotional creature that lives according to its instincts. In males, the smell of urine is an indicator of dignity.
The pet is often able to write for the following reasons: fear, stress, pain, threat, etc.n. In such a situation, treatment is not required. Simple adjustment required
Behavioral Features
If urinary incontinence in dogs is associated with behavioral features, kicks and screams will not help matters. Even treatment will not save. In such situations, you need to educate your pet, showing your patience and perseverance.
Males are able to designate territory in this way. The dog most often pees in the corners. In such a situation, treatment involves sterilization, due to which the sexual instinct will decrease.
Age features
Why does the dog pee often? This may be due to age-related characteristics, with a weakening of smooth muscles. What to do in such a situation? You will need to treat it with medication.
The reason that the dog began to write often may lie in heat. Quite often, this problem makes itself felt at the first “hunt” in young girls. Due to the presence of pulling pains, they often try to “empty” the bladder.Due to this, additional pressure can be relieved.
Treatment in this situation is not required. You just need to walk with your girl more often. What you shouldn’t do is scold. She realizes that constantly cleaning up puddles does not make you feel good. But she is incapable of reforming.
Perhaps the dog just drinks a lot of water and cannot wait to go outside. But the need for a lot of water can also indicate the presence of diseases.
Abnormalities
True incontinence is very difficult to treat.This is due to the presence of congenital or acquired abnormalities, which are accompanied by weakness of the contracted muscles of the urethra. In such a situation, urine leaks regularly. Treatment for such a problem will not completely eliminate.
What to do in such a situation? It is important to see your veterinarian right away. If you “catch” the pathology at the earliest stage, it can be cured. In most cases, incurable problems can be controlled.
Occurrence of diseases
Why did the dog begin to write often? This may indicate that any diseases have arisen.And most often they are inflammatory in nature. It is difficult to determine the causes even if you undergo a clinical examination. What to do in such a situation?
Begin to write down all the characteristic features of the content, describe the diet and nature of the walks, tell about the events that the pet has encountered, how much water he drinks. The more information is provided to the veterinarian, the sooner the reasons will be found.
Cystitis
Treatment implies the need for testing.Laboratory analysis of urine can help in many situations. In some dogs, the cause of incontinence is hidden in the presence of cystitis. In the case of extensive inflammation, urine starts to leak constantly. Also, a puppy or adult pet may defecate while sleeping.
The causes of cystitis mainly lie in hypothermia. Treatment involves taking antibiotics. After starting therapy, clinical progress can be noticed after a few days. If you do nothing, your puppy or adult pet will urinate blood.Gradually, he will not be able to relieve himself at all.
It is imperative to carry out a full course of treatment. It is not recommended to stop treatment, even if the symptoms have completely disappeared. Relapse is possible. More details about the symptoms of cystitis will be discussed in the video.
Polydipsia
The dog begins to write frequently due to polydipsia. In such a situation, she drinks a lot of water, several times exceeding the daily norm. If a female drinks a lot of water, you should think about the presence of pyometra.In such a situation, an ultrasound scan is required. It is not recommended to treat your pet on your own.
Polydipsia is a terrible symptom. And his main problem is not that the dog constantly requires water and pisses more often. Polydipsia indicates the possibility of diabetes, genitourinary infection, kidney failure, and other serious diseases. And if it was noticed that the dog drinks a lot of water, immediately contact your veterinarian.
Injury
The dog is able to write more often due to spinal injuries.This case is accompanied by damage to the nerve endings or to the spinal canal. It is difficult to get rid of the problem completely. It most often occurs in those dogs that have an elongated spine, such as dachshunds.
During childbirth or after the puppy is born, the dog may have pinched nerves. Such a disease is accompanied by weakness in the limbs, a painful appearance, and abandonment of his puppy. The veterinarian will determine how to treat the dog when he performs a comprehensive examination.
If the veterinarian offers to carry out operations, it is recommended to do tests and treatment beforehand.
Ectopia
A puppy or a dog is capable of suffering from increased urination due to the presence of ectopia. This is a congenital disease. Quite often observed in females. The disease is diagnosed at a young age. The diagnosis is based on anamnesis.
If any problems arise during the diagnosis, a visual examination and urography are performed.The disease can be corrected through surgery.
Key recommendations for treatment
Treatment should be started first of all with identifying the problem (drinking a lot of water, whining, blood in the urine, etc.).
If the pathology was caused by disorders in the contractile abilities of the sphincter, hormonal drugs should be used. A similar problem often occurs in neutered or neutered pets. It is associated with a lack of hormones.
In the presence of other problems, drugs that belong to the group of tricyclic antidepressants may be effective. They are aimed at relaxing the muscles of the bladder. However, the sphincter contraction also occurs. This is exactly what is required.
The above agents have a potent effect. Often, after taking them, side effects occur. It is recommended to use it after consulting a doctor. It is he who must choose the exact dosage.
If a puppy pissing
If a small puppy urinates frequently, know that he will learn to control this process when he is 3-4 months old. The term will depend on how the owner is able to correctly explain what the puppy should do. It is necessary to suggest where he should relieve himself.
It should be understood that a puppy rarely starts to urinate just like that. In many situations, this is accompanied by the presence of congenital abnormalities. And the puppy will be able to return to normal life only after surgery.
Video “Causes”
Does the dog drink a lot of water, pee often, and feel pain when relieving himself? The video talks about the reasons why bitches have problems with frequent urination.
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90,000 Frequent urination in men | STADA
Frequent urination in men
During the day, people urinate six times on average, sometimes one more time at night. But this is on average, but in fact the norms are individual, so doctors recommend focusing on subjective sensations. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account whether the amount of fluid consumed has increased (remember that strong, persistent thirst can be a sign of diabetes) and whether there is a connection with taking a new medication.
If urination is frequent and there is no obvious reason, then this is a reason to go to the doctor.It is important to pay attention to the “red flags”, symptoms that indicate that medical attention should be sought immediately:
- There is blood in urine
- Urine turned red or dark brown (and this is not due to medication or certain foods such as beets, blueberries, beans and rhubarb)
- Urination painful or difficult
- Pain in the back, side or lower abdomen
- Temperature increased
- Urinary incontinence or sudden and acute urge to urinate
- Sudden and unexplained weight loss
If you are concerned about frequent urination at night, try to drink less fluids before bed, and avoid drinks that contain alcohol.In some cases, you may need special supplies to help protect your clothes and bedding, such as male urological inserts and absorbent diapers.
Inflammation of the prostate gland
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland, which is located directly below the bladder.
The disease usually affects men over 50 years of age and leads to frequent urination. Why does it arise? In most cases, prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection and then, after confirming the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics.
Prostatitis can be suspected if, in addition to frequent urge to urinate, a man has the following symptoms:
- Elevated temperature (observed only in 10% of all cases)
- Pain (usually in the area of the prostate or scrotum)
- Problems urinating (e.g. weak stream)
To confirm the diagnosis, the European Association of Urology recommends a digital rectal examination and a three-glass urine sample.
Urinary tract infection
Infection can occur in the urethra leading to urethritis, develop in the bladder causing cystitis, or even involve the kidneys. In such cases, frequent urination in men with blood may be one of the symptoms. Signs of infection also include pain and burning when urinating, cramping in the lower back and abdomen, a strong urge to urinate immediately after emptying the bladder, and, in some cases, a fever.The disease is usually caused by bacteria. Treatment should be prescribed by a doctor who will check whether the infection has spread far. Typically, a doctor makes a diagnosis based on symptoms and urinalysis.
Frequent urination in men can develop with other diseases, each of which has its own manifestations and can lead to the development of various complications.
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90,000 What relatives of patients with dementia are talking about – Social responsibility
Dementia, a syndrome in which brain cells are destroyed, and a person loses the ability to think, speak, walk, is diagnosed in 10 million people annually (data from the World Health Organization (WHO) at 2017).According to the calculations of the International Federation for Alzheimer’s Disease (the most common cause of dementia) Alzheimer’s Disease International, every three seconds someone in the world gets sick. In 2015, there were 46.8 million dementia patients, and by the middle of the century their number will exceed 131 million.
There are no actual statistics for Russia. According to the latest data (for 2004), 1.8 million people with various forms of this disease lived in the country. Experts call the numbers underestimated, and also predict an increase in the number of patients due to the aging population.According to WHO, the syndrome is one of the leading causes of disability in older people in the world.
Degradation of human cognitive functions occurs gradually until the disease is considered incurable. Some pharmaceutical companies, like Pfizer, have even curtailed decades of research and development. A number of drugs can slow the onset of symptoms for several years if started early. But relatives usually look for the first signs, mistaking dementia for the normal form of aging.
“People do not understand that this is a disease”
“People do not understand that this is a disease, that they need to go to a doctor. They complain: my mother’s character has deteriorated so bad, and her mother-in-law does not sleep at night and does nasty things. They are shy, hide, do not ask for help,” partnership “Association of companies in the service industry for the older generation” Tamara Bondarenko.
Although in the initial period of the development of dementia, the patient can live separately, perform simple household chores, over time the person becomes dependent on others.At a late stage, the patient does not orientate himself in space and time, walks with difficulty, does not recognize relatives and friends. The need for control is growing: it is not uncommon for patients with dementia to leave in an unknown direction, leave gas in the apartment or rewrite real estate on the first comers.
“My grandmother fell ill when she was 87. Although she was strong. For thirty years she lived in the village with her grandfather, on natural products. It all started with sclerosis, confusion. It came to hallucinations.She did not understand where she was, did not remember what happened five minutes ago. Rarely recognized us. Instead of a kettle, I could turn on the oven. I looked for bread in the freezer, went to the bank at three in the morning. Included water. We even warmed up our neighbors, – said “+1” 34-year-old Irina from St. Petersburg, who has been caring for an elderly relative for five years. – Gradually I stopped sleeping. I woke up every two to three hours. The psychotherapist prescribed antidepressants. It’s been a year since my grandmother died, and my sleep has only recently returned to normal. “
To distract herself, Irina got a job for a part-time in the kindergarten as a cook’s assistant. The woman calls her work her salvation. Soon, her grandmother suffered a stroke. To care for the patient, Irina would have to leave work, but she admitted that she did not know how to give injections and carry out other medical procedures.
“We decided to take her to a boarding house. We chose a good one, more expensive. We talked with lonely old people who live there. They didn’t want to go to the state one, they don’t live there for a long time, and we couldn’t afford a nurse.They charge three thousand a day. We paid 50 thousand a month for the boarding school. Ten more went to diapers, medicines, diapers. My grandmother’s pension covered part of the expenses. To get benefits, free medicines, you need to go through so many doctors! Besides, it turned out to be expensive – receptions, taxis, everything requires money. She stayed in this boarding school for only three months, barely reached 93. But we associate this with the consequences of a stroke. It just started to fade. “
Relatives solve the problems of leaving in different ways, but experts assure that there is nothing better than a family home.According to Irina Roshchina, associate professor of the Department of Neuro- and Pathopsychology, Faculty of Special and Clinical Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, it is difficult for patients to adapt to new conditions. Even trips to guests or trips to your favorite summer cottage do not bring former joy, but provoke stress.
Caregivers have to deal with many issues – from social to legal: how to equip an apartment, how to treat, how to communicate, receive benefits that are required by law for people with dementia, necessary adaptations, for example, diapers, register a disability, protect real estate, receive a pension when the patient does not understand where he signs.
In Russia, several public educational projects have been created to help the relatives of dementia patients, for example, the online portal “Memini”. Several times a year, the non-profit organization Aid to Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Families (Alzrus) conducts seminars in Moscow for relatives caring for elderly patients with dementia, the School of Care. Several participants of the School of Care shared their experience of life with patients with “+1”.
“Following the recommendations of doctors, you can extend the active phase.”Vladimir, 57 years old
“We noticed symptoms in March 2011 But in hindsight we realized that dementia started to develop earlier. Six months before that, she was bad at sewing, knitting, cooking. But we did not attach any importance to this. Then she became more confused than usual, making mistakes in the simplest things. Mom, of course, is an elderly person, but it became obvious to me and my sister that something was wrong.
We did not understand what was happening and took her to a neurologist. The doctor immediately said that my mother has dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s disease.She prescribed medications, injections and suggested specialists who are dealing with this problem in Moscow. The Scientific Center for Mental Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences sounded. Department for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders. I found it. In the first months we managed to get an appointment. For the first five or six years, we regularly went there. I was told how to behave with my mother in everyday life, what to do with her.
The first years we lived actively. We were engaged in Scandinavian walking, played chess. We did everything together: shopping, food, cleaning, even washing together.We tried to communicate: they went to visit, they themselves invited friends.
But that time passed quickly. Three years ago, my mother began to fall into delusional states, sleep poorly, and behave aggressively. For the past two years, it has required continuous monitoring. We had to put locks on all doors and windows, remove the handles from the stove. If I do something, I look back at her every two or three minutes. Now my mother is lying. He speaks badly, does not understand anything.
All the care lies with me. At first I went to work, but then I had to leave everything.The situation was depressing. But over time, we got used to each other, we cope. Sister – on short visits, comes when she can. I can do some things at this time. But since my sister, unlike me, does not constantly loom before my eyes, my mother perceives her badly: she does not obey, she rereads.
Mother’s character has changed a lot during the illness. She reacts badly to all people, so we did not think about the nurse. We did not consider boarding houses either. She is very restless, energetic and difficult to follow.And a change of scenery would not be beneficial.
Mom, of course, does not realize a lot, but her own walls act on her better. Even when at first we went to the dacha to see our relatives, she always asked to go back home. As we were told in the “School of Care” and as I myself understood empirically, caring for such patients is still the business of relatives. Nothing can replace their help and care.
On the recommendation of the center’s specialists, we were registered at the place of residence in a neuropsychiatric dispensary.The doctors sent it, saying that they could give free medicines there. But the necessary drugs were not found. We buy everything ourselves. We spend 5-7 thousand a month.
In my opinion, the most important thing is to notice in time, attach importance to changes and contact specialists. Nothing good will happen if you let things take their course. Following the recommendations of doctors, you can extend the active phase. “
“Taking care of your health makes it easier.” Olga, 29 years old
“We live with my husband’s grandmother.She is 87 years old. She worked as a doctor. Five years ago, she retired and the next day she took to her bed, saying that she could not do anything. She developed various fears. She became afraid that there was no money. She tried not to go to the toilet, fearing that the toilet would get clogged, refused to eat, fearing that the food would run out. She didn’t want to take the pills.
We took her to a mental health center. Doctors diagnosed and prescribed medication. Although her fears have become less vivid, she still refuses to go out, has lost a lot of weight, and her cognitive impairment is progressing.
This is our first time in such a situation. And at first they did not understand what to do, how to behave. When she refused to eat, we tried to convince, give some arguments, and only got irritated.
When I went to the School of Caring, it turned out that fears are classic symptoms of dementia. Experts explained how to communicate with grandmother: in an imperative form in short sentences, say, for example, “eat”, “take a spoon in your hand”; told what government services and how they can help.It did not occur to me that it was possible to get diapers or call an assistant on a privilege.
Sometimes I think there is a point in boarding houses if they are good. But my husband is categorically against boarding schools. This is his beloved grandmother. In addition, she has become so attached to the house that it would be difficult for her to move to a new place.
Care costs have not been calculated, but the amount is rather onerous. In addition to medications, we need diapers, doctors’ visits, now it is mainly a traumatologist. There were no critical situations.
We have a small child, so I am at home and take care of my grandmother. Her condition is changing. When I get very tired, my hands drop. Sometimes it piles on: how stupid we are that we moved to my grandmother, it was necessary to hire a nurse. But it quickly passes if you talk to someone. If you take care of your health, it becomes easier. In the morning I do exercises, dance. Sometimes you need to leave home. For several days my husband is busy with my grandmother, and I walk, try not to think about my grandmother. When, for example, she refuses to eat, and I feel that irritation comes up, emotions go wild, I lock myself in the kitchen or in the room and yell.Helps. “
“Grant for some reason is not given”
Experts recognize that caring for a relative with dementia is an emotional and financial burden on a family. Many, like Vladimir, have to quit their jobs. People burn out, suffer from depression, and undermine their health.
In Western countries, boarding houses come to the aid of families. In Russia, according to Tamara Bondarenko, there are few suitable institutions. Neither in hospitals nor neuropsychiatric dispensaries can take care of the patient properly.“In every Russian boarding house, both public and private, there are dementia patients, because this is the category of elderly people that, first of all, they want to get rid of at home,” said the expert. “It is believed that any boarding house is suitable. Those who are more concerned about their beloved relatives are looking for decent boarding houses, realizing that no one will provide care for two rubles. Those who are in need choose what they have to do. ”
However, the care of dementia patients must be specialized.Trained personnel should work in boarding houses, the spaces should be properly organized. “The corridors, for example, should be broken, and the rooms should be designed for one patient, or four, if the hospital does not have the means and cannot place patients in separate wards. “, – the expert explains.
There are many nuances that are known abroad. Russia lags behind in terms of training specialists and technologies.“As a person who has been spinning on this topic for twenty years, I see that government organizations have a big problem in the development of technologies. They have a lot of money, but they are conservative. Private, on the contrary, are ready for innovation, but lack funding. We can leap forward, if we bring together knowledge, money, technologies, ways of their implementation, we will build accessible models of interaction “, – noted Tamara Bondarenko.
According to experts, it is necessary to develop a system for assessing institutions.It will allow you to publish objective information about boarding houses. It will be clear in which institution they work poorly and because of what – for example, untrained personnel, poor material support, lack of funding. “The experts will be able to tell you what to do so that the organization can continue to develop and provide quality assistance to patients with dementia. But the assessment requires a lot of money and resources. Since private individuals are usually small, poor institutions, they cannot even afford to create such a system.It is necessary to develop an assessment for third-party money. Our partnership wanted to receive a presidential grant for this project. But so far, for some reason, they do not give it, “Tamara Bondarenko laments.
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