An overactive bladder is a condition that is characterized by a problem in the bladder storage function; a problem that eggs one on to urinate frequently. This condition can cause problems in your social and work life. You may isolate yourself from others and feel embarrassed about the situation.

Symptoms
If you have an overactive bladder, you may exhibit symptoms of frequent urination, involuntary leakage of urine and frequent urge to urinate. These symptoms might disrupt your daily life; so it is important to seek advice from a medical practitioner.

Causes
To better understand what causes an overactive bladder, you need to know how the urination process works. Urine is produced by the kidneys, which flows to the bladder. During urination, the urine is excreted from an opening in the bladder and flows out via the urethra. As the kidneys secrete urine, the bladder starts to fill up. During this stage, nerve signals are sent to the brain; signals that trigger your body to urinate. The bladder muscles tighten that pushes the urine out of the body.

An overactive bladder results from the involuntarily contraction of the bladder, which might happen even if the content of urine in the bladder is low. These contractions create the urge to urinate. The various causes of an overactive bladder are:

Excessive fluid intake, if your fluid intake is high, then you may have the tendency to urinate frequently.
Presence of tumors or stones in the bladder can make the bladder overactive as well.
Excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption has the same effect as an excessive intake of fluids has.
Urinary tract infections may interfere with the entire process of urination, thus causing your bladder to swell up and become overactive.
Other diseases and conditions such as constipation and an enlarged prostate can hamper bladder functioning.
Treatment
There are multiple approaches to treat an overactive bladder; your doctor may use one or a combination of multiple methods.

Medications: Medications such as Trospium and Tolterodine help in relaxing the bladder. These medications help treat symptoms of frequent urination.
Bladder injections: Botox is a protein that is injected into the bladder that causes partial paralysis of the bladder muscles. This helps in treating the constant urge to urinate. However, its effects are temporary as they last for 6-9 months.
Lifestyle modifications: Certain lifestyle modifications such as incorporating exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, maintaining optimal weight levels and bladder training to control its functioning can help with managing an overactive bladder.
Surgery: If the other treatments do not produce the desired results, then surgery is usually recommended. The aim of the surgery is to enhance the storage capacity of the bladder and reduce bladder pressure.

Frequent Urination - Is It A Symptom of An Overactive Bladder?

The tube transporting urine from the bladder out of the body is known as the urethra. Under normal circumstances, this tube is wide enough for urine to flow freely but in some cases, one or more section can get narrowed and restrict the flow of urine. This may be diagnosed as a urethral stricture. This length of this stricture can range from 1 cm to affecting the entire length of the urethra.

This is caused by scar tissue or inflammation of tissue in the urethra. While this is a common condition that affects men, it is rarely seen to affect women. An enlarged prostate, exposure to STDs like gonorrhoea or chlamydia, suffering from an infection that causes urethral inflammation and irritation or having had a catheter recently inserted can increase the risk of suffering from a urethral stricture. An injury or tumour located near the urethra can also cause this condition. Hence, preventing this condition is not always a possibility.

Common symptoms to look out for include:

Inability to urinate
Reduction in the flow of urine
Increased urge to urinate frequently
Pain while urinating
Urinary incontinence
Abdominal pain
Swelling of the penis
Discharge from the urethra
Blood in the urine or semen
Dark urine
The bladder feeling gull even after urinating
A physical examination and tests that measure the rate of urine flow and chemical composition of the urine can help a doctor determine a diagnosis of urethral strictures. You may also need to undergo STD tests and a cystoscopy. An X-ray may also help locate the stricture. The treatment for this condition depends on the severity of the symptoms.

Non-surgical treatment for this condition involves using a dilator to widen the urethra. However, there is no guarantee the blockage will not recur at a later date. Alternatively, a permanent catheter may also be inserted.

There are two forms of surgical treatment for a urethral stricture.

Open urethroplasty: This involves removing the infected or scar tissue and restructuring the urethra. The results of this procedure depend on the size of the blockage. It is usually advised only in cases of long, severe strictures.
Urine flow diversion: In the case of a severe blockage and damage to the bladder, the doctor may advise rerouting the flow of urine to an abdominal opening. This process involves connecting the ureters to an incision in the abdomen with the help of part of the intestines.

Stricture Urethra - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Severe disorders in one or more kidneys can be debilitating since the quality of life is severely affected. If you suffer from such a condition, you may already be undergoing dialysis. But, have you considered kidney transplant yet? 

Here is a look at some benefits of kidney transplant over dialysis.

1.Increased life expectancy

You may not know this, but dialysis restricts your life expectancy. For instance, a person undergoing dialysis at 30 will have a life expectancy of 15 more years. However, with a transplant, you can go on to lead a full life. The same 30-year old person will have a life expectancy of 30 additional years in case of a transplant from a brain-dead donor. If the donor is a healthy individual, life expectancy may extend to 40 years as well.
Therefore, if you want to live longer, you need to seek a kidney transplant.
2. Enhanced quality of life
Not only does severe kidney disorder mean relying on dialysis, but it also imposes other major restrictions in regards to diet and lifestyle. However, the kidney transplant is a more permanent solution to the problem. Once the transplant is completed and you recover from the surgery, you can resume a normal life. Additionally, some of the dietary restrictions are also lifted in such a case. 

Why dialysis is more common?
Dialysis is more common for the following reasons-
    The kidney to be transplanted may not be readily available. You would be placed on a list and it may take a while for a suitable kidney to arrive. During this period, you would need to undergo dialysis.
    Since dialysis is a minimally invasive procedure, it is often preferred by patients. However, kidney transplantation is better in the long-term.



Why Should You Opt For Kidney Transplant Instead Of Dialysis?

The ideal diet after a kidney transplant

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure where your kidneys are cleansed and rebuild using the kidneys of a deceased person, in order to flush out the excessive waste fluids from the kidneys. It is of paramount importance and your dietary patterns and lifestyle should be altered after you go through a kidney transplant. Your dietician will help you out by preparing your diet chart to clearly list out the foods that you should consume and those which you should avoid after the surgery. The diet chart that would be prepared for you would be highly subjective and it would totally depend  on your lifestyle, medical history, family health records, genetically transmitted conditions and such others. Apart from improving the condition of your kidney and assisting your transplant, the diet chart will also help you to lose weight, boost your metabolism and enhance your immune system. Some of the most common recommendations that your dietician may give you are as follows:

-Eating at least 5 full servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day as both are an important part of a healthy diet for a person who has just undergone a kidney transplant. The vegetables should mostly be eaten after cooking/boiling as per the suggestions of your dietician.
-Having enough of fiber rich foods in your daily diet is essential as it speeds up the process of digestion and prevents constipation by promoting frequent and easy bowel movements.
-If you are a non-vegetarian, then you should be going for lean meat alternatives which are low on fat and high on nutritional value. -Examples of such meat are fishes and poultry. Additionally, you should also avoid all kinds of red meat as it is high on fat.
-Consume low-fat milk and dairy products as they help to prevent the fat accumulation inside the body and also maintain an acceptable level of calcium and phosphorus inside your body.
-Maintain a low level of iodized salt in your meals, as it helps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Over the counter health supplements like vitamins and proteins can also be taken, if recommended by your dietician.

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The Ideal Diet after a Kidney Transplant

The prostate gland is a very important gland in the male reproductive system. It is responsible for producing around 30% of the fluid which comprises semen. While the statement that homeopathy cannot treat problems in the prostate such as prostate cancer is true, it is untrue that prostate gland enlargement cannot be treated by homeopathy. Here are the most common homeopathic remedies for prostate gland enlargement and what are the medicines best suited for it:
1. Baryta carb
Baryta carb is one of the best homeopathic remedies for prostate gland enlargement in the elderly. Common conditions which may indicate that baryta carb is the best remedy for your prostate gland enlargement patient include degenerative diseases such as losing memory, cardiovascular problems and other problems besides losing memory in the cerebral system. 
2. Digitalis
Digitalis is mostly used when the patient suffering from prostate gland enlargement also suffers from heart problems. Digitalis does make the pulse weak, slow or even intermittent, however it is worth note that oedema may also occur. 
3. Staphysagria
Staphysagria is one of the best homeopathic medicines for various pains which occur in the urinary system in addition to prostate gland enlargement. Common pains which staphysagria cures include pain while urinating, burning sensation in the urethra, feeling like the bladder is not completely emptied as well as pain in the urethra when one is not urinating.
4. Conium
Frequent urination is yet another symptom of prostate gland enlargement. This problem is caused by an injury to the area where the prostate glands are located. This injury hardens the glands. The passage of urine will be extremely difficult with urine starting to pass and then stopping again. There is also dribbling of urine after completion of urinating.
5. Sabal serrulata
Sabal serrulata is one of the most popular homeopathic medicines for prostate gland enlargement with many patients having consumed it reported great results. It works for most causes of prostate gland enlargement as well.
Even though homeopathy is supposed to have no side effect, it is still imperative that you consult your doctor about which ones to take.

Homeopathy in Prostate Problem

The main task of the kidneys is to balance the electrolytes in the blood and maintain the pH homeostasis. The kidneys also remove waste products from the blood. Infections in the kidney aren t uncommon and affect women (majorly pregnant women) and children below the age of two in most conditions.

Kidney infections are of two types:

Uncomplicated kidney infection: The infections in this condition are minor and can be cured with minimal medication.
Complicated kidney infection: These infections are more complex and serious as compared to the uncomplicated ones.
If not treated on time, kidney infection can prove to become a serious condition and lead to various complications including kidney damage and blood poisoning (sepsis).

The most common causes of kidney infections are:

Weak immune system: If you have a weak immune system, you are prone to getting a bacterial or fungal infection on the surface of your skin which eventually enters the bloodstream. The infection might right reach the kidneys and cause an infection there.
Bacteria entering from the urethra: The pathogen which causes an infection can enter the body through the urethra and multiply in the bladder. The infection spreads to the kidneys and causes renal infection.
Kidney stones: People diagnosed with kidney stones are at a very high risk of developing kidney infections. Kidney stones are caused because of a build-up of dissolved minerals in the inner lining of the kidneys.
Enlarged prostate: Men with an excessively enlarged prostate are prone to developing kidney infections as compared to men with a normal-sized prostate.
Intercourse: Engaging in sexual (anal or vaginal) intercourse with an infected person can be a major reason for kidney infection as the bacteria can enter the body through the anus or the vagina and affect the kidneys.
It is not difficult to detect infection in the kidneys as they have very visible symptoms. A few symptoms of kidney infection are:

Excessive back pain
Sudden chills or fever
Nausea and puking
Blood in the urine
Pain while urinating

Kidney Infections - Factors That Put You At Risk!

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