6 Things You Should Know About ‘Bladder Spasms’

Bladder spasm is a condition in which the bladder muscles feel squeezed suddenly, pushing you to empty your bladder immediately. In scientific terms, it is an involuntary muscular contraction of bladder muscles leading to an urgent need to urinate. The spasm can force urine from your bladder causing unwanted leakage.

It is not a life-threatening condition; however, it can cause embarrassment to an individual leading them to isolate themselves and snub their social lives. The risk of getting bladder spasm is high among elderly people, pregnant women and new mothers, overweight and obese individuals, patients who have had pelvic surgery recently, people with high intake of caffeine or alcohol.

While some instances of bladder spasms could be resolved with home remedies, some bladder spasms could be one of the symptoms of a medical condition. If you encounter instances of bladder spasm, here are 6 things you should be mindful about:

1. Frequent Urination: Bladder spasms will make you feel the need to urinate frequently. One may get the urge to urinate more than 8 times in a day. A sudden urge to urinate may also lead the urine leaking before reaching the washroom. People experiencing bladder spasm do not get sound sleep as they may have to wake up twice or more to urinate at night. The issue of frequent urination often causes discomfort and embarrassment pestering individuals with bladder spasm to cut out on their social lives.

2. Uncomfortable sensation: While for some, bladder spasms are manageable, for some it may cause a burning sensation, painful cramping along with an urgent need to urinate.

3. Triggers: Bladder spasm could happen due to numerous reasons like overactive bladder, Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), diabetes, enlarged prostate, Interstitial Cystitis, neurological disorders, medications, kidney related issues, bladder stones, irritation from catheter and lower abdominal surgery.

4. Treatable with exercises: Bladder spasms can be treated with the right set of exercises. Health experts recommend pelvic floor exercises that help strengthen the pelvic muscles, which will ultimately help control frequent urination and bladder spasms. It is advised to consult your doctor or a registered medical practitioner to know about the set of pelvic exercises that would help managing bladder spasms. These exercises can be done at home.

5. Manageable with lifestyle changes: Certain lifestyle changes could help you recover from bladder spasms or instances of frequent urination or incontinence. Eliminating alcohol, caffeine and other foods that increase the need to urinate could help to a great extent. Scheduling washroom timings every two to three hours could help manage bladder spasms. A technique called ‘double voiding’, in which one could try urinating twice in a single bathroom trip, could keep your bladder empty making it feel more relaxed.

6. Medication: In certain cases, medical experts recommend medicines that could help reduce or even eliminate bladder spasms. Some of the common medications include Antibiotics, which are mostly prescribed when a patient has Urinary Tract Infections (UTI); Anticholinergics, which is a type of medication to relax your bladder muscles and Topical estrogen that helps strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Bladder spasms are uncomfortable and painful; however, they generally subside on their own in the first few weeks after a lower abdominal surgery. Many times, they get resolved through home remedies like lifestyle and dietary changes along with some pelvic exercises. If the pain, discomfort and burning sensation doesn’t subside after a few weeks of basic remedies and rest, it is advised to consult a doctor for the best course of medical intervention.