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If you experience bladder symptoms such as strong, sudden urges to go to the bathroom (also called "urgency"), frequent trips to the bathroom (also called "frequency"), and bladder leakage, you should discuss them with your doctor.
The good news is that there may be something more you can do to help relieve these symptoms. Your doctor might recommend that you use "behavioral techniques" for addressing frequent bladder urges like:
- Kegel exercises (exercises you do to strengthen your pelvic muscles)
- Bladder training (going to the bathroom at regular times, like every two hours)
- Keeping track of how much liquid you drink and cutting back your liquids when it's hard to get to a bathroom
But these techniques alone might not be enough. You might be doing some of these things already, and yet you still worry about leaking. That's why your doctor may suggest prescription medicine. In fact, a study has shown that when these behavioral techniques are used along with prescription medicine, treatment success is higher.
"Anticholinergic" prescription medication is often used to help treat the bladder symptoms described above.
- This type of medication is used to reduce bladder muscle contractions when the bladder is only partially filled.
- With medication, the bladder muscle relaxes appropriately, letting the bladder fill more completely.
- As a result, patients may experience fewer urges, less need to use the bathroom, and fewer accidental leaks.
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