Your senior years can be some of the best of your life, with plenty of time to enjoy family and pursue personal interests, but annoying health problems can interfere with your quality of life. One common malady is overactive bladder syndrome, or OAB, marked by a frequent urge to urinate that can keep you from socializing and interrupt sleep. A common response to OAB symptoms is to limit your intake of fluids, a dangerous move that can lead to dehydration.
OAB Symptoms
OAB is a relatively common complaint for seniors, marked by symptoms of frequent urination, a frequent urge to urinate and involuntary leakage of urine. Researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine Department of Urology attribute OAB to a malfunction of the detrusor muscle that under normal conditions responds to pressure from a full bladder. With OAB, the detrusor muscle contracts independently of stimulation from a full bladder, giving the sensation of the need to urinate or forcing urine out of the bladder involuntarily.
OAB Causes and Prevalence
While it is known that detrusor muscle malfunction is at the root of OAB symptoms, other underlying causes are responsible for the muscle's misbehavior, among them nerve damage from trauma or surgery, medications, bladder stones and neurological disorders like Parkinson's, MS and stroke. In the Winter 2008 issue of "Reviews in Neurology" Scott A MacDiarmid, MD, FRCPSC, estimates that upward of 30 percent of people over 65 experience symptoms of OAB.
Impact of OAB
Beyond annoying discomfort, OAB can take a toll on patients' health and health care costs. Seniors suffering form OAB often are embarrassed by their condition and become socially reclusive and depressed. The urgency to urinate might be responsible for falls leading to fractures as seniors rush to the bathroom, and disabilities consequent to falls can lead to further physical decline. People with OAB are prone to urinary tract and bladder infections, increasing health care costs to both the individual and society. Dr. MacDiarmid cites data from 1995 that put costs associated with OAB at $26.3 billion yearly.
Dehydration and OAB
In an effort to offset the frequent urge to urinate, many seniors severely limit their intake of fluids, but Dr. MacDiarmid cautions that limiting fluid intake can lead to chronic dehydration and bladder irritation from highly concentrated urine that can worsen OAB symptoms. Deliberate fluid restriction is compounded by a reduced perception of thirst, making seniors less likely to drink adequate fluids. A 2007 Australian study showed that the thirst sensation in older brains is turned off by lower volumes of fluid before hydration needs are met. Dr. MacDiarmid stresses the importance of seniors with OAB consuming at least six or seven 8 oz. glasses of water daily.
References
- "Journal of the National Medical Association"; Dehydration in the Elderly: A Short Review; Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey; October, 1987
- Science Daily; Brain Malfunction Explains Dehydration In Elderly; December 18, 2007
- University of Miami School of Medicine Department of Urology: Overactive Bladder
- "Reviews in Urology";Maximizing the Treatment of Overactive Bladder in the Elderly: Scott A MacDiarmid, MD, FRCPSC; Winter 2008
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