The Hidden Mystery Behind OAB

Many healthcare providers have no idea what it’s like to be a woman patient experiencing overactive bladder (OAB). Even though so many women experience urinary frequency during the day, as well as during the night, they are not bringing up this topic during their annual visit with their doctors. And, many women will not admit to having experienced it, even when asked by their doctors.

Women are simply too embarrassed to tell their doctors they are having urinary problems. This is truly a problem that no one wants to talk about, yet it affects millions of women! In fact, 40% of women in the United States live with OAB symptoms. And, they believe that OAB is a taboo topic to discuss. Sadly, for women with OAB, it perpetuates living with it in silence and it does not enable them to seek help to improve their symptoms.

Even though there are life-limiting challenges and a lot of frustration associated with OAB, many women still feel it’s just an acceptable part of the aging process. Of course, this is a widespread misconception. You should never think of OAB as something you have to put up with, or just a part of growing old!

We all know the benefits of exercising. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (or a combination of both), preferably spread through the week. The AHA stresses that we all should get up and move throughout the day and any activity is better than none.

However, for a woman who is experiencing OAB, leaking urine when you are jumping up and down in an exercise class can suddenly make exercising very problematic. How are you supposed to enjoy going on a long walk when you can’t even go two feet without having to go to the bathroom? This can be very frustrating for a woman.

If you are having trouble controlling your bladder due to OAB, some women tend to avoid sexual intimacy entirely because of the fear of leaking. That is really just a shame!

Women are simply too embarrassed to tell their doctors they are having urinary problems. This is truly a problem that no one wants to talk about, yet it affects millions of women! In fact, 40% of women in the United States live with OAB symptoms. And, they believe that OAB is a taboo topic to discuss. Sadly, for women with OAB, it perpetuates living with it in silence and it does not enable them to seek help to improve their symptoms.

And, if you are having bladder control issues at night which causes disrupted sleep, that certainly can put a damper on intimacy. It may leave you feeling too exhausted to enjoy sexual intimacy.

So, what do lots of women resort to doing in an effort to cope with the inconveniences of OAB? They employ many coping behaviors which help them to manage their symptoms. Just what are they doing?  Instead of seeking help for bladder control problems, they adapt to masking strategies which include wearing pads and diapers, crossing their legs, drinking less, bathroom mapping, limiting their activities and avoiding social interactions with their family and friends. The stress of these actions may leave women feeling depressed. So, in essence, these strategies often perpetuate the problem and make it worse.

Women also are also spending billions of dollars annually on products like incontinence pads and special absorbent clothing to help them cope with OAB. They do this without even looking for ways to treat or manage it. Needless to say, this leads to very stressful situations as well as becoming very expensive.

So, I ask you, are you one of those women who has said any of the following:

• “I don't have a bladder control condition, I just go to the bathroom a lot.”
• “My bladder control condition interferes with my life more than I care to admit.” 
• “My bladder control condition causes me to limit my activities.”
• “It’s hopeless to wish that my bladder control condition would be cured.”
• “My bladder control condition is a normal part of getting older.”
• “Having a bladder control condition makes me feel old.”

Don’t let urinary problems impact your physical and emotional well-being, or let it keep you homebound.

Now, do you recognize yourself with any of the statements I previously raised? Have you just been laissez-faire with your attitude about OAB? Or have you even been avoidant in letting your OAB issues go, avoiding visits and discussing OAB issues with your doctor? If yes, the challenge is that you must face the music. Unfortunately, none of us gets out of life without some medical issue. And, a great many of us have OAB.

What’s the main takeaway? Yes, OAB can be an embarrassing condition which makes it hard to bring this subject up with your doctor. So, it is important, once and for all, to brush off the embarrassment.  Don’t let embarrassment keep you from asking for help. OAB is something that no one has to live with. Speak up, be brave and talk to your doctor about OAB and what you can do to keep control of your bladder. There are numerous ways that you can improve OAB problems. There’s also effective therapies that are available which can help manage OAB. Discuss with your doctor a plan of action to reduce the urge to go and go.

This article was provided for use by Karen Giblin, from the Red Hot Mamas and is legally licensed by Urovant Sciences. For more information, visit https://redhotmamas.org/.

US-OAB-2100010