CAN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS CAUSE FREQUENT URINARY PROBLEMS?

Some people sometimes experience quite a strange situation and how they describe it is that whenever they are in a highly tense situation and highly worried about anything they hurry to the toilet to pass water more often than usual. Why it happens and is there a way out to set it right? Let’s find out. 

There is a term “fight or flight response” which is used to describe and elaborate on such a situation. It means that due to any reason when you come across a situation that terrifies you or puts you in too much anxiety or inclines you to flee away from that place or situation. It has been explained through an illustration. Suppose you're in some jungle; you come across a lion; you get prepared to flee from that scene without an effort. Your brain transmits messages to your body that concentrates on sending more blood to your body parts that require it the most at that moment. Due to that rush of events or portion thereof, several hormones are released which supersede the ordinary working of hormones that maintain to relax your bladder. In such a situation the sphincter muscles of the bladder relax and no longer hold the urine in the bladder which also contracts and you feel an urgent desire to pass water. In exceptional cases, certain individuals even wet their pants. 

Another example may be found in animal studies in which rats’ behavior was analyzed after subjecting them to constant uneasiness and afterward their urinary responsiveness was measured. It was observed that they possessed a bottom edge to understand agonizing and uneasy matters contrary to normal rats. Furthermore, these feelings were understood by them quite seriously. We call this type of behavior stress-induced hyperalgesia which might clarify why it happens. So, whenever someone has constant anxiety or tension he considers ordinary feelings like his urge to pass water or go to the toilet as uneasy or awkward thus inducing him to hurry to the toilet frequently to get rid of him those awkward feelings.  (@ chhanno blogspot com 28102021). 

Some other studies focused on specific neurotransmitters which are carriers of chemical messages transmitted through nerve cells conveying a specific message to different parts of the body. It was observed that in difficult circumstances or distressing and worrisome conditions, the pituitary gland of the brain transmits a specific hormone called Corticotrophin Releasing Factor (CRF) more than usual. Certain sensory receptors in the bladder answer back these particular neurotransmitters due to which the bladder squeezes or contracts more frequently and a desire to pass water arises. When you feel the increasing number of contractions of the bladder you desire even more to reach the toilet to pass water more frequently.

Serotonin is another neurotransmitter due to which pathways for pain and blood vessels in the brain are affected and it is associated with tension and bladder contractions or urinary urgency. Its main function n is to control temperament, attentiveness, pain, and sleep. Whenever you encounter a persistently tense situation your level of serotonin decreases. It has also been observed that a decrease in the level of serotonin has a strong connection with increasing bladder cramps and resulting urinary symptoms. 

Pelvic floor muscles’ malfunction is one more reason for this situation. You can contemplate that when you're worried or nervous some of your muscles squeeze. Some people even feel pain in their jaw. The muscles of the pelvic floor also squeeze and that may bring about various symptoms for instance urinary incontinence. Malfunctioning pelvic floor may aggravate many indications like urinary frequency or urgency and occasionally bladder pain as well. It may also result in problems of the bowels and a feeling of pain at the time of intercourse, especially in females. In case you come to know that during tense conditions you may be feeling some irregularities involving malfunction of bowels and urinary symptoms, there may be a possibility that you are having a dysfunctional pelvic floor. 

Another study was conducted to find out a correlation between stress and hyperactive bladder. Such patients and other people of equivalent age but without hyperactive bladder were compared with each other in the study. All participants of the study were asked certain explicit queries to assess their level of stress. It was observed that almost fifty percent of hyperactive bladder patients were also suffering from stress and nervousness and they had quite a serious level of nervousness symptoms. On the other hand, individuals who were just suffering from nervousness were also suffering from the more distressing hyperactive bladder. Now it proves that there is a strong correlation between the two. It is however not clear what causes the other. It implies that various elements of the study are strongly associated with each other and more severe stress and severely hyperactive bladder also intensify each other. Moreover, it implies that a transitory association between the two is there. Thus, there is a higher chance of getting stress symptoms in the coming ten years for individuals suffering from the hyperactive bladder, and the individuals who have anxiety there is a higher probability that they may have a hyperactive bladder in the coming ten years. So getting treatment for hyperactive bladder may be helpful with further treating stress symptoms and the other way around. 

Anyone who has a malfunctioning pelvic floor or hyperactive bladder should most importantly consult a specialist physician for an assessment of his problem and its management. Alternatively, he may make an effort to train himself to manage his bladder urgency which means waiting for a little when you feel a strong desire to pass water. It has been observed that sometimes when someone desires to pass water his urge arises extremely strong and he has to hurry to reach the toilet immediately. Yet, if he takes a pause, his desire subsides gradually. So, as soon as you have a feeling or an inclination to pass water you take a pause and wait and divert your attention to other things while doing some fast kegel exercises. We term it to train your bladder. Very shortly, kegel exercise is the muscles exercise of the pelvis and it means pulling the pelvis or vaginal muscles “up and in” and thereafter loosening them up. There is an article on kegel exercises in my blogs that you may find interesting. So do fast pulling “up and in” and relaxing these muscles and when you see your urge subside you may be able to go to the toilet room casually without any hurry. That fast and quick exercise makes your brain to re-establish connection with the bladder and that thing makes them rediscover that desire no longer so vigorously.   (@ chhanno blogspot com 28102021). 

You can also take a start by trying to lower the level of anxiety whenever you feel it. You may ensure to take enough sleep by regulating your time for going to bed and waking up. That has been shown on numerous occasions to assist in reducing your tension and anxiety. Similarly, ensure to do regular workouts every day regardless of whether it’s just walking in the open out of the house as it is extremely helpful for your well-being and temperament. Going out in a natural environment surely elevates further the level of your attitude. It can also assist with lowering your tension and anxiety. Furthermore, including some meditation in your everyday schedule can assist you to overcome a portion of this tension. 

To wrap things up please find support to overcome your stress and tension. There is no disgrace in finding support to cope with stress and tension or depressive disorder or some other psychological health issue. A person should find support at any time in his life in case he comes across tension and anxiety. 

God bless you; Take care everywhere and always. 

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(Updated on 09-01-2023)