Woman rides motorbike for 9 hours to hospital for 'unspeakable illness'

Female patient has an unspeakable disease, urinating every 15-20 minutes - Illustration photo

A female patient (33 years old, residing in Van Chan, Yen Bai province) came to Truong Cong Giai Clinic, Hanoi Medical University Hospital for examination due to frequent urination. The patient, her husband and son traveled by motorbike for 9 hours (from 12 noon to 9 pm) to Hanoi for examination.

The patient shared that she could not travel by bus because every 15-20 minutes she had to stop to pee, but the bus company did not allow her to go. Since before she was married, she had to pee a lot, 1-2 times/hour, and every time she had to pee, she had to go right away or she would "wet her pants".

After ordering some necessary tests and paraclinical tests, the patient was diagnosed with overactive bladder (OAB). The patient was prescribed medication, advised on how to drink water, how to practice holding urine, how to practice pelvic floor muscles, and scheduled a follow-up appointment after one month of taking the medication.

A month later, the patient called the doctor again, saying that the frequent urination symptoms had gone away but that she could not go to the appointment because she was busy with crop work. The doctor also gave her further advice, hoping that the patient would be able to maintain the treatment results for a long time.

According to Dr. Ha Hong Cuong, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, overactive bladder is a condition in which the bladder works irregularly, causing the feeling of needing to urinate immediately, even when the bladder only contains a small amount of urine.

People with OAB may often have to urinate many times during the day and night, and may even have difficulty controlling urination, affecting their quality of daily life.

Causes of OAB may include:

- Age : Decline of bladder muscles and associated nerves may contribute to the development of OAB, especially in older adults.

- Conditions such as infections, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis , or any condition that affects the nervous system can cause OAB.

- Hormonal changes in the body , such as during menopause in women, can increase the risk of OAB.

- Using too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking cigarettes , or taking certain medications can increase your risk of OAB.

- Excessive tension of the bladder muscles , leading to uncontrolled bladder contractions, can also cause OAB.

- Some cases of OAB may have a genetic component: OAB can occur at any age and in both sexes.

"Determining the specific cause of overactive bladder often requires assessment from a specialist and appropriate medical tests. Patients with typical symptoms of OAB such as frequent urination, difficulty controlling urination... should go to medical facilities and hospitals for timely examination and treatment, helping to improve quality of life and confidence in daily activities and work" - said Dr. Cuong.

According to Dr. Chau Minh Duy - Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, a healthy lifestyle can help improve overall health in general and urinary tract in particular. Therefore, overactive bladder can be prevented by building a healthy lifestyle:

- Maintain a healthy weight

- Regular physical activity and exercise

- Limit the use of coffee, alcohol...

- No smoking

- Tight control of chronic diseases

- Do Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-phu-nu-di-xe-may-suot-9-tieng-den-benh-vien-vi-benh-kho-noi-20240612205219121.htm