Excess Body Weight
Excess body weight increases intraabdominal pressure, which can increase bladder pressure, resulting in an overactive bladder. Women who are obese or overweight are more likely to develop an overactive bladder than women of average weight.
Therefore, overweight patients may be recommended to shed some pounds to manage urinary issues. In addition, obesity is proven to reduce healthy blood flow and nerve activity leading to problems with an individual’s ability to control their bladder.
Patients who experience an average weight loss of 8% of their total body weight will report an improvement in their urinary patterns. According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, obese or overweight women who succeeded in losing weight report fewer overactive bladder episodes and a reduction of urinary incontinence by 47 percent.
In addition, even minor weight loss can help alleviate overactive bladder symptoms. Restoring to an average weight may ultimately solve issues with an overactive bladder. This is because losing a significant amount of weight in the abdominal region will reduce the pressure on the bladder.
