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HEALTH&FITNESS
308
November14
How is it diagnosed?
OAB is a diagnosis that is reached by
excluding other common medical causes,
such as bladder infections, stones, tumours
and so on. After a detailed history and
physical examination, your urologist
will usually order some urine and blood
tests, and perform an ultrasound scan, a
cystoscopy and a uroflowmetry study to
assess how well your bladder is functioning.
What are the treatment options?
•
Oralmedications
suchasantimuscarinics
(Detrusitol, Vesicare and others) are
effective in treating most cases of OAB.
• For resistant cases, injecting botolinum
toxin, or
Botox
, directly into the bladder
wall via a cystoscope often achieves
excellent improvement.
•
Surgery
to augment the bladder or
stimulate the sacral nerve is the last line
of treatment, after other treatments have
proven ineffective.
How can we prevent this condition
from occurring?
Avoiding smoking and reducing your intake
of coffee, tea, alcohol, sodas and spicy food
will often improve the symptoms of overactive
bladder. If your symptoms still persist despite
these lifestyle changes, do consult a urologist
for a thorough medical evaluation.
Gerald Tan Urology & Robotics
38 Irrawaddy Road
#07-40 Mount Elizabeth Novena Medical
Centre
6694 1838 | drgeraldtan.com.sg
cancer; a personal history of
colorectal polyps or cancer or
ulcerative colitis; and cancers
of other organs, especially of
the breast, the womb or the
ovaries.
Why is screening so
important?
Most cancers of the large
intestine are believed to have
developed from polyps, so,
detecting polyps during a
colonoscopy and removing
them greatly reduces risk – a
polyp removed is a potential
cancer prevented.
Who should be screened?
In its early stages, colorectal
cancermaycausenosymptoms
at all. Therefore, it is advisable
to go for a colon check from the
age 50 years – or earlier, if you
are at higher risk.
What does a colonoscopy
involve?
The colonoscope – a long,
thin flexible telescope with
a built-in light source – is
passed through the rectum
into the colon. Colonoscopy
can identify abnormalities in
the colon, remove polyps and
take tissue for biopsy. It is done
as a day-case procedure in the
endoscopy centre, after colon
cleansing. An injection through
a vein will help you relax and
better tolerate any discomfort,
and the procedure usually
takes from 10 to 30 minutes.
Recovery time?
You should be able to eat
as usual and return to your
normal activities after leaving
the hospital on the same day.
Quah Hak Mien Colorectal
Centre
6 Napier Road
#05-01 Gleneagles Medical
Centre
6479 7189 |
colorectalcentre.com.sg
QUESTION #8
Am I going too often?
Considering how many of us, both men
and women (but largely women), suffer
from stress or urge incontinence, it’s a
shame that the subject remains so taboo.
Fortunately, says consultant urologist
DR GERALD TAN, you don’t have to live
with the inconvenient, embarrassing and
potentially debilitating problem of an
overactive bladder
.
What is overactive bladder?
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition
where patients experience frequent
urination, urgency and sometimes pain on
passing urine, with or without leakage of
urine, in the absence of identifiable causes
such as bladder infections or tumours.
How many people does it affect?
OAB is a very common disorder, affecting
one in six men and women over the age
of 40 years. It may be associated with
diabetes, chronic urinary obstruction from
an enlarged prostate, or with neurological
conditions such as Parkinson’s disease,
multiple sclerosis and stroke.
What are the symptoms, and when
should one seek help?
There may be a sensation of urgency
in passing urine, too-frequent urination,
and perhaps the leaking of urine before
reaching the bathroom. See a doctor if your
symptoms persist for more than twoweeks.
FACT LEAK
Did you know that one in four women
over the age of 18 experiences
i nvo l un t a r y u r i ne l eakage?
According to the NAFC (nafc.
org), urinary incontinence (UI) is a
stigmatised, underreported, under-
diagnosed, under-treated condition
that is erroneously thought to be a
normal part of ageing. Incontinence
is not a normal part of ageing – it
is a symptom of another problem.
On average, women wait more
than six years after they develop
an incontinence problem before
consulting their doctor about it.