What Is the Urinary Bladder?
The urinary bladder is a pear-shaped, distensible organ that temporarily stores urine. It is located in the pelvic cavity below the parietal peritoneum. The shape and size of the urinary bladder change with the amount of urine in it. The inner lining of the urinary bladder is made up of transitional epithelium, which is responsible for holding the urine and releasing it. Contraction of the muscle expels the urine. The bladder is connected with two ureters to the kidney, and the other end of it opens into the urethra. Both ends of the bladder or guarded by sphincters, which prevent the backflow to the kidneys and also the flow of urine towards the urethra.
The urethra is the final passageway for the urine flow from the bladder to the outside of the body. The opening of the bladder into the urethra is called the external urethral orifice. The urethra is shot in females, which is about only 3 to 4 cm, whereas, in men, it is longer and is about 20 cm. The urine travels from the kidneys through ureters into the bladder and from the bladder to the urethra. The bladder is provided with the nerves that control the urge to urinate and also signal the fullness of the bladder.
What Is Bladder Training?
An urge to urinate is controlled by nerves and the urinary bladder sphincters. When there is trouble controlling the bladder, the entire schedule of life gets disturbed. The uncontrollable urge to urinate or the fear of leaking some drops of urine before urinating requires bladder training. Overactive and weak bladder require special attention because there is an increased urge to urinate.
Bladder training can help to regain some control over the bladder. The muscles of the bladder can be trained so that they stretch enough to hold more urine. Bladder training is recommended for bladder control problems that teach to hold urine for a longer period to prevent emergencies and leaks. It also involves various behavioral treatment approaches, a voiding schedule, and a particular drinking schedule. Bladder control problems are something that most people are reluctant to take care of. The first method to manage bladder control problems is bladder retraining which is a behavioral therapy that helps to control urination. It gradually teaches individuals to hold their urine for a longer period.
When Is Bladder Training Required?
The management of bladder training depends on the underlying cause. It is typically used to treat the involuntary loss of urine and urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence generally occurs in women, especially after menopause or childbirth. The various types of urinary incontinence include -
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Overflow Incontinence - Urine leakage that occurs due to a problem with emptying the bladder completely is called overflow incontinence.
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Urge Incontinence - A sudden feeling or a strong urge to empty the urinary bladder because the bladder contracts even when it is not full is called urge incontinence.
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Stress Incontinence - A sudden pressure on the abdomen from a sneeze or cough that accidentally causes one to lose some drops of urine.
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Mixed Incontinence - It is a combination of both age and stress incontinence.
How to Train the Bladder?
The Bladder Retraining Technique:
Before the beginning of bladder control training the physician will suggest keeping a diary in order to note down every time the urge to urinate. It is also very important to note down every time the drops of urine that is leaked. Based on the entries made in the diary, the following techniques are used to gain control over urination.
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Schedule Bathroom Visits - Based on the diary entries, determine how often individuals have urinated. Then add 15 minutes to the previous time. Urinate at each scheduled visit regardless of the urge to urinate. Now, gradually increase the amount of time between two urination.
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Delay Urination - The method of delaying urination is used to hold the urine for some more time as soon as you feel the urge to urinate. Then increase this time until the urge can be controlled for 3 to 4 hours without using the bathroom in between.
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Kegel Exercises - These exercises are used to strengthen the muscles to stop the urine flow. It is a combination of pelvic floor exercises with bladder training techniques, which are effective for treating incontinence in women. Kegel exercises focus on squeezing the muscles that are used to stop the urine flow. Contracting the muscles and holding the urine for five seconds of contractions and five seconds of relaxation and gradually increasing it to 10 seconds of contractions with 10 seconds of rest in between. A set of three contractions each day needs to be practiced. Women who are unable to squeeze the right muscles in order to hold the urine can insert a finger into the vagina in order to feel the muscle contraction or ask a doctor about trying another technique. The other technique used is biofeedback, in which the doctor inserts a small probe into the vagina that senses electric signals to display the pelvic floor muscle contraction on the video monitor. Watching the contractions can help perform the exercises correctly.
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Pants With Electrical Pads - It is a non-invasive electrical device used to improve urinary incontinence. It stimulates the pelvic muscle floor and helps strengthen and re-educate the muscles that control bladder leakage. It uses a low-grade electrical current to stimulate inactive or weak pelvic muscles to contract.
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Tibial Neurostimulator - It is a small coin-sized device that is implanted in the lower leg to reduce urinary incontinence symptoms. The device and electrical stimulation sensations help the pelvic muscles to exercise and perform the function effectively.
How to Supplement Bladder Training?
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Try to drink less fluid before or during bedtime.
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Urinate before going to bed at night and as well as you get up in the morning.
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Try to avoid and limit the beverages like caffeine and sodas that increase urination.
Conclusion
The urinary bladder is a part of the urinary system that stores urine temporarily. Bladder training is required when there is a need to train the bladder muscles to compensate for urinary incontinence and leakage. The bladder training and pelvic muscle exercises are performed to hold more urine in the bladder, have more control over the urge to urinate, and increase the period between bathroom visits. Bladder training requires 6 to 12 weeks for positive results. If bladder training is not working, one should see a doctor.
