Whatis a bladder spasm?A bladder spasm is when the muscles in the bladder suddenlycontract, or tighten. Bladder spasms can be caused by:●Urinary tract infection ("UTI")●Urgency incontinence or overactive bladder –"Incontinence" means leaking urine or losing control of your bladder.People with urgency incontinence feel a strong need or "urge" tourinate all of a sudden. "Overactive bladder" is another term forhaving a sudden, frequent urge to urinate.●Certain medicines●Certain foods that irritate the bladder – These might includealcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, or spicy or acidic foods.●Bladder stones, tumors, or growths called "polyps"●Neurogenic bladder – This condition causes problems with bladdercontrol. It most often happens in people who have had a spinal cord injury.●Using a urinary catheter●An enlarged prostateWhatare the symptoms of a bladder spasm?A bladder spasm feelslike a strong, sudden need to urinate. In some cases, you might not be able tocontrol your urine when this happens and might leak urine.Dependingon what is causing your bladder spasms, you might have other symptoms, too. Forexample, if your bladder spasms are caused by a UTI, you might also have aburning feeling when you urinate.WillI need tests?Maybe. Your doctor or nurse will start by asking about yoursymptoms. They might need to do an exam of your pelvis, genitals, or rectum.Iftests are needed, they might include:●Urine tests – These can check for signs of infection.●Imaging tests – Imaging tests create pictures of the inside ofthe body.●Urodynamic tests – These check how well your bladder is working.They include tests to measure pressure inside your bladder, how fast your urineflows, and how well your nerves and muscles are working.●Pad weight test – For this test, you wear a pad inside yourunderwear while you exercise or do other activities. After, the pad is weighedto see if any urine leaked out, and how much.●Blood testsInsome cases, your doctor or nurse might want you to keep a "voidingdiary" for a few days .This is a record of when you urinate. It includesinformation about when you urinate, how much, and whether you had any leaks.You can also write down notes about when you went to bed and got up, what youhad to drink, and other information your doctor suggests.Isthere anything I can do on my own to feel better?Dependingon what is causing your bladder spasms, there are some things you can try.Thesethings might help with your symptoms:●Avoid foods or drinks that make your symptoms worse – Thesemight include alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, or spicy or acidicfoods.●Try to drink water throughout the day, instead of drinking a lotof water at once. Avoid drinking anything for about 2 hours before bed.●Prevent constipation – Constipation is a common problem thatmakes it hard to have bowel movements. It can make bladder spasms worse.●Bladder training – Bladder training helps your bladder hold moreurine so you can urinate less often. If your doctor or nurse thinks thatbladder training would help you, they will teach you what to do.●Relaxation – This can help manage the urge to go. When you getan urge, stand still or sit down. Take a deep breath, squeeze your pelvicmuscles, and let the "wave" of needing to go pass. Then, walk slowlyto the bathroom to urinate.●Pelvic muscle exercises – Pelvic muscle exercises strengthen themuscles that control the flow of urine. Ask your doctor or nurse how to do themcorrectly. They might suggest working with a physical therapist who has specialtraining in these exercises.●Lose weight, if you have excess body weight – If your weight iscausing your bladder spasms or making them worse, losing weight can help. Ifyou want to try to lose weight, talk to your doctor or nurse about how to dothis in a healthy way.Howare bladder spasms treated?Treatment for bladder spasms depends onwhat is causing them.Possibletreatments might include:●Treating the underlying problem – For example, your doctor ornurse might prescribe antibiotics for a UTI. If a medicine is causing yoursymptoms, they might switch you to a different medicine.●Medicines to relax the bladder●Biofeedback – This is a way to retrain the muscles that controlthe bladder. It is done at the doctor's office, a physical therapist's office,or sometimes at home. It involves using devices called "sensors" thatmeasure muscle activity.Ifbladder spasms continue to cause you to leak urine after trying the above, yourdoctor or nurse might suggest other treatments. These might include:●Botulinum toxin (Botox) injection – This is a shot into thebladder. It can help the bladder relax. The injection needs to be given aboutonce or twice a year. At first, these injections can cause trouble urinatingand UTIs, but these improve with time. There is also a chance that thetreatment will not correct the problem.●Electrical nerve stimulation – For this treatment, a surgeonimplants a device under the skin. The device sends mild electrical signals tonerves that control bladder function. The signals do not hurt. This treatmentcan reduce sudden urges or the need to urinate often. The device is testedbefore the surgery to check if it will help.Whenshould I call the doctor?Call for advice if you have:●Signs of infection – These include a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) orhigher, or chills.●Blood in your urine●Pain when urinating●Very bad belly pain●Very bad back pain, or pain on the side of your lower back