Neurogenic bladder: how to improve quality of life. Treatment of neurogenic bladder in women Neurogenic bladder in men is treated

Neurogenic bladder -- is any dysfunction of urination caused by a lesion nervous system.

The bladder receives sympathetic fibers from the I and II lumbar ganglia. Connecting, these fibers form the superior hypogastric plexus, which lies anterior to the aortic bifurcation. From this plexus arise two hypogastric nerves, ending in the cystic plexuses, which are located on the sides of the bladder; The II, III and IV sacral roots, which provide parasympathetic innervation of the bladder, also end in the cystic plexuses.

Both afferent and efferent innervation of the bladder is provided by the pelvic nerves. The external sphincter of the bladder receives impulses from segments I-II, reaching the pelvic floor muscle through the n.padendi.
With parasympathetic stimulation, the longitudinal fibers of the detrusor contract, opening the bladder neck, and the circular fibers produce pressure on the contents of the bladder.

U infants emptying the bladder occurs reflexively; reflex arc passes through the sacral segments spinal cord. The formation of control over emptying the bladder is associated with an increase in the ability to inhibit the emptying reflex; inhibitory impulses are provided by the sympathetic nervous system, which keeps the sphincter contracted and suppresses contraction of the detrusor muscle.
With age, it becomes possible to voluntarily suppress this inhibition and thus begin the act of urination, which ends reflexively.

In this way, bladder function is controlled three neural mechanisms:

  • sacral reflex arc, which ensures emptying,
  • inhibitory sympathetic mechanism and
  • voluntary control, suppressing the sympathetic mechanism and thus initiating the act of urination.

Sensory impulses from the bladder, on the basis of which the feeling of fullness and the urge to urinate are formed, spread along the spinothalamic tracts, while the feeling of touch and pressure on the urethra is associated with the spread of sensory impulses along the posterior columns. Descending motor tracts associated with emptying the bladder pass in the lateral columns. Voluntary onset of urination usually begins in response to awareness of the fact that the bladder is full.

Surpaspinal control includes the pontine center (Barrington's center in the reticular formation). The second block is the preoptic zone of the midbrain. Upper part The postcentral gyrus is the cortical sensory center of the bladder, and the corresponding area of ​​the postcentral gyrus is the source of motor impulses that initiate the act of urination.

The second frontal gyrus also controls urination, and bilateral damage to this area can cause frequency and urgency, incontinence, and sometimes urinary retention.

In general, the anatomical and functional organization of the normal functioning of urination cannot be considered finally deciphered to date. Suffice it to say that after the 50s the concept of exclusively parasympathetic regulation of the bladder was revised. Usually to clarify the nature neurogenic bladder Bladder function needs to be quantified.

Cystometry - a method for measuring the amount of intravesical pressure caused by increasing volumes of fluid that is injected into the bladder through a catheter; intravesical pressure is measured with a manometer continuously or after infusion of every 50 ml of liquid.

Since the sacral reflex arc ensures the emptying of the bladder, its interruption usually causes urinary retention due to the opposite influence of sympathetic mechanisms. With tabes dorsalis, the afferent part of the reflex is disrupted. Processes in the area of ​​the conus spinal cord or cauda equina, if they
affect the II-IV sacral roots, destroy both afferent and efferent pathways of the reflex and are therefore usually accompanied by urinary retention (“autonomous bladder”).

However, reflex emptying of the bladder can sometimes be restored even after severe but incomplete damage to the conus or cauda equina. With injuries to the cauda equina in patients with tabes dorsalis, the bladder is atonic, which causes the accumulation of a very large volume of urine without a contractile reflex in response to an increase in intravesical pressure. Quite regularly, urinary disorders occur with polyneuropathies that occur with damage to autonomic fibers (diabetes, primary amyloidosis, paraproteinemic polyneuropathies). Incomplete injuries to the spinal cord above the conus may involve either inhibitory fibers destined for the sympathetic pathways or descending fibers associated with voluntary initiation of urination. In the first case, patients experience difficulty in holding urine, imperative urges arise, as is observed in early stages multiple sclerosis.

Incomplete injuries of moderate severity lead to disruption of voluntary control over urination, so that urinary retention develops due to the activation of inhibitory sympathetic mechanisms. A similar mechanism of urinary retention is observed, for example, in the later stages of spinal compression, with transverse myelitis and in the later stages of multiple sclerosis.

After a complete interruption of the spinal cord pathways due to injury or severe transverse processes above the conus, in acute stage, in the phase of spinal shock, there is urinary retention, but subsequently enhanced reflex activity develops and reflex emptying of the bladder occurs according to the sacral mechanism reflex arc(hyperreflex bubble). The reflex can be enhanced by stimulation of skin areas that receive innervation from the sacral spinal cord. However, sometimes after massive damage to the sacral segments and/or conductors of the spinal cord, the bladder remains atonic, probably due to concomitant involvement of the cauda equina due to ischemia.

With cerebral lesions, urinary retention often develops; usually damage to these areas is combined with severe bilateral damage to the corticospinal tracts. The delay is caused by damage to the precentral cortex on both sides. Damage to this cortical region can also cause urgency or incontinence, which is often found in brain tumors, anterior communicating artery aneurysm, or diffuse damage, for example, in Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

TREATMENT.

Treatment of a neurogenic bladder is one of the most complex and controversial sections of neurological therapy.

With urinary retention Adequate drainage of the bladder using an indwelling catheter is necessary; Steps should be taken to prevent a urinary tract infection or treat, if one develops, with appropriate antiseptics or antibiotics.

In patients with incontinence due to spinal injuries, all efforts should be aimed at resumption of reflex emptying of the bladder. To stimulate this reflex process, regular clamping of the indwelling catheter every 2-3 hours in the acute stage of injury can help. Emptying the atonic bladder in case of damage to the cauda equina is carried out by hand pressure over the symphysis pubis. Incontinence devices can be used by male patients, but are not suitable for female patients.

With neurogenic urinary retention, it almost inevitably develops, which without treatment is complicated by ascending
Therefore, in case of urinary retention, constant drainage of the bladder with a catheter is necessary. The use of modern thin plastic catheters has reduced the number of infectious complications. In the past, if there was no way to control urinary infection, suprapubic cystotomy was performed; nowadays it is rarely used. Manual control of catheter drainage can be achieved by clamping the drainage tube, which is performed by the patient, but more often continuous drainage is used into an appropriate container, which is fastened to the patient's thigh using a belt.

The most important rule - maintaining the sterility of the catheter and all devices used, strict control over compliance with asepsis. Cystoscopy and radiography of the urinary tract, including pyelography, may be necessary to rule out hydronephrosis and renal or bladder stones. Sometimes it is necessary to evaluate the functional state of the kidneys. In all cases of neurogenic dysfunction of urination, consultation with a urologist is advisable, and in case of massive lesions, his role becomes leading.

Below is a list (purely indicative) therapeutic measures, used with two main manifestations of a neurogenic bladder:

  • urinary retention and
  • various forms incontinence (imperative urges, true incontinence).

If you have difficulty emptying your bladder recommended three main treatment blocks:

  1. increased intravesical pressure: nirisympathomimetics (carbacholine, aceclidine), anticholinesterases (iroseria, kalimin), prostaglandins, external pressure, restoration of reflex contraction (stimulation of trigger zones, tidal drainage), electrical stimulation (direct bladder stimulation, nerve root or spinal cord stimulation);
  2. reduction in output resistance: baclofen, seduxen, alpha-blockers, transurethral resection of the bladder neck with neck plastic surgery, external sphincterotomy, dissection of the pudendal nerve;
  3. continuous or intermittent catheterization.

Treatment urgency and urinary incontinence is also based on three main postulates:

  1. suppression of bladder contraction: anticholinergic drugs (atropine, scopolamine, platyphylline), beta-adrenergic agonists, muscle relaxants (baclofen, seduxen), calcium antagonists, prostaglandin inhibitors, parlo del, bladder denervation, i.e. creation of an “autonomous bladder” (subarachnoid blockade, sacral rhizotomy, peripheral denervation of the bladder);
  2. increase in output resistance: alpha-agonists, beta-blockers, electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles;
  3. devices for external urine collection, intermittent or continuous catheterization.

Choosing one or the other therapeutic appointment determined purely individually. The decision about surgical interventions is made only with the participation of a urologist and sometimes a neurosurgeon.

The term neurogenic bladder is used to describe the group functional disorders arising as a result of damage to the organs of the central and peripheral nervous system. The disease is characterized by partial or complete loss of urinary control, and the severity of symptoms depends on the location and etiology of the central nervous system lesion.

The numerous factors influencing bladder dysfunction make it difficult to verify the diagnosis, and to date the medical community has not developed an unambiguous classification system for the disease. However, it is reliably known that the NUT (neurogenic bladder) is not an independent pathology, but is formed as a result of congenital or transmitted diseases. In the etiology of neurogenic dysfunction of the bladder (bladder), the prevalence and degree of damage to the nervous system is of decisive importance, and the basis of the disease is desynchronization of detrusor contraction with opening urethra. Conventionally, the causes of neurogenic bladder are divided into several groups:

  1. Congenital dementia, oncological, infectious and inflammatory processes of the spinal cord and brain: encephalitis, neuritis of various etiologies, post-vaccination disorders, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
  2. Defeats peripheral nerves and muscles of the storage organ due to intoxication and injury, after surgery and stroke.
  3. Congenital defects of the urinary tract and central nervous system.
  4. Degenerative changes in cartilage spinal column– osteochondrosis and spinal hernia;
  5. Immunodeficiency virus – HIV.

In some cases, urinary tract syndrome is a consequence of chronic cystitis, urolithiasis and emotional shock. Neurogenic bladder occurs equally in women compared to male patients. The occurrence of dysfunction in childhood caused by birth injuries, congenital pathologies of the central nervous system and urogenital area, as well as instability hormonal levels and violation metabolic processes during puberty.

Clinical picture of different forms of the disease

Depending on the functional activity, hyperactive and hypoactive bladders are distinguished. The clinical picture and the nature of the development of pathological conditions have significant differences. Doctors distinguish 3 degrees of severity of disorders of neurogenic bladder function:

  1. Mild – accompanied by dysuria, incontinence when the abdominal muscles are tense, enuresis at night;
  2. The average is distinguished by a rare urge to empty, stagnation of urine;
  3. Severe degrees are characterized by constipation, incontinence, urolithiasis, chronic inflammatory processes of the urogenital organs, neurotic conditions and general weakness.

Symptoms of a neurogenic bladder depend on the severity of the central nervous system damage and can be either episodic or permanent.

Underactive bladder

Typical manifestations of dysfunction are a decrease in the contractile activity of the storage organ. Due to hypotension of the detrusor and sphincter, it becomes impossible to create the necessary parameters of intravesical pressure, which leads to a delay and sluggish process of fluid excretion, the formation of a large amount of residual urine and the uncomfortable sensation of incomplete emptying. The result of hypotension is the formation of an overstretched bladder with hypertrophy of the walls and a decrease in the volume of the organ. Such a transformation leads to uncontrolled excretion of urine in small doses (drops), sclerosis and wrinkling of the storage organ.

Overactive Bladder

Urinary incontinence, an irresistible (imperative) urge to empty the organ, and nocturnal dysuria characterize an overactive bladder. A spasmodic detrusor contributes to the formation of increased bladder pressure with a small volume of fluid, which causes an imperative urge. Overactive bladder syndrome is usually accompanied by hypertension, sweating, and in severe neurological disorders, uncontrolled release of a large volume of urine may occur at the slightest tension in the abdominal walls.

Important! Neurogenic hyperactive bladder reduces the quality of life, significantly limits the circle of friends and physical activity. The disease causes serious complications: hypertension, kidney inflammation, cystitis and dystrophic changes organs of the urogenital area.

It can be stated that neurogenic dysfunction of the bladder leads to atony of the walls of the organ and the development pronounced violations outflow of urine. Serious complication There may be a reverse reflux of urine in an ascending manner, which leads to the formation of stones and inflammation of the kidneys. In most cases, bladder dysfunction is accompanied by mental disorders and social maladjustment.

Diagnosis of NMP

Establishing the cause and form of the pathology requires painstaking work not only from the attending physician, but also from the patient. An important aspect is keeping a diary, which indicates the time, number and amount of fluid excreted, and the sensations after urination. Diagnosis of a neurogenic bladder consists of several stages, including the following types of examination:

  • anamnestic survey with analysis of objective complaints, hereditary factors, identification of chronic and past diseases;
  • identification of neurological pathology and exclusion of organic lesions;
  • urine tests according to Zimnitsky and Nechiporenko;
  • culture for bacterial flora;
  • Ultrasound of the genitourinary tract;
  • clinical and biochemical analysis blood;
  • uroflowmetry – determines the muscle activity of the detrusor and the flow rate of the secreted fluid;
  • cystometry of a full bladder with assessment of capacity and sensitivity, intravesical and intra-abdominal pressure;
  • profilometry - urodynamic study of urethral pressure.

According to indications, additional, more informative types of diagnostics may be prescribed: suprapubic puncture, cystoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, X-ray contrast methods, MRI. In most cases, consultations with specialized specialists are advisable: neurologist, psychotherapist, proctologist, gynecologist, nephrologist. If it is impossible to establish accurate diagnosis talk about unknown etiology and the idiopathic nature of the pathology.

Treatment of neurogenic bladder

Therapy of the disease requires an integrated approach; diagnosis of the neurogenic bladder, aimed at identifying the cause and type of organ dysfunction, is especially important. Typically, the therapeutic regimen includes:

  • drug treatment;
  • psychotherapy;
  • periodic catheterization and the use of physiotherapeutic techniques;
  • teaching patients to control urination using special exercises;
  • sacral electrical stimulation with implantation of electrodes;
  • percutaneous drug blockades;
  • minimally invasive surgical interventions.

To reduce bladder hypertonicity, anticholinergic drugs that block nerve impulses are used: Oxybutynin, Darifenacin, Tolterodine. The drugs are characterized by their lack of addiction long-term use and have a pronounced effect with minimal negative consequences. Some categories of patients are prescribed blockers calcium channels Nifedipine and Pantogam. In case of urine accumulation, catheterization and intravesical installations with solutions of anesthetic and antioxidant drugs are performed. In addition to drug treatment, patients with bladder hyperfunction may be prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures. Exercises aimed at training the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are recommended, which in the long term makes it possible to compensate for some of the lost functions of the urinary tract sphincter. In conditions accompanied by urinary retention and decreased detrusor tone, periodic catheterization and course electrical stimulation of the storage organ are performed. Reflex activity is restored by a course of taking cholinomimetics and drugs that enhance smooth muscle function: Cytochrome, Riboflavin, Bethanechol, Aceclidine. In many cases, when bladder function is impaired, herbal remedies are included in the treatment regimen: Cyston, Cystenium, Canephron, Monurel. In women during menopause, hormone replacement therapy is advisable. When an inflammatory process is detected, antibacterial, antiseptic and immunomodulatory drugs are prescribed medicines. To eliminate detrusor-sphincter dyssenergy, promising methods are used to introduce botulinum toxin into the wall or sphincter of the storage organ. Thanks to its high efficiency wide application received neuromodulation, depending on the nature of the disorders, aimed at activating or inhibiting the functions of the storage organ. The event is considered successful if signs of violations are reduced by more than 50%. Minimally invasive methods have been developed and are actively used in medical practice. surgical techniques, improving bladder function.

The success of treatment is associated with the correction of behavioral habits and nutrition. During illness, you should adhere to a salt-free diet and exclude spices, smoked foods, preserves, yeast baked goods and alcohol from your diet. The treatment plan for patients with traumatic injuries of the brain and spinal cord requires bed rest; if the patient is able to move or the causes of the pathology are of a different etiology, then hospital treatment is recommended. Rehabilitation and prevention of the disease consists of daily exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, compliance with hygiene rules and treatment recommendations. Frequently washing the external genitalia with herbal decoctions or warm water with special hygiene products prevent urinary tract infections. For the treatment of neurogenic bladder caused by psychological disorders, a necessary condition recovery and prevention of relapses is long-term observation and rehabilitation by a psychotherapist. In all cases, it gives a good effect spa treatment with the use mineral water, carrying out mud therapy in the form of tampons and applications to the bladder area.

Prevention of the disease consists of timely relief of inflammatory processes in the organs of the urinary system, prevention of trauma, hypothermia and nervous stress.

#!UroNA4ALO!#

Neurogenic bladder dysfunction is a disease that often occurs in adults and children. Neurogenic bladder syndrome involves difficulty storing and emptying urine, impairing basic bladder functions. Malfunction of the bladder can lead to severe consequences, including psychological ones, and also indicate possible more serious diseases of the spinal cord and brain (age-related and pathological).

This disease can be either independent, caused by congenital disorders in the functioning of the brain and spinal cord, or acquired, provoked by the same disorders and injuries, but received during life. The neurological nature of the disease determines the complexity of its treatment and requires specialist intervention.

The Energo Medical Center is a clinic where many urological problems can be treated, including neurogenic bladder syndrome, its causes and symptoms. Usage modern drugs and therapeutic technologies, selected based on psychological and physical features patient, allows you to achieve effective results in a relatively short time.

Neurogenic bladder dysfunction: causes

The main reasons for the development of this disease are considered to be a violation of the neurological connection between the centers of the brain and muscles and nerve endings the walls of the bladder and sphincter, which causes a malfunction in their work.

Communication failure may be caused by:

  • congenital pathologies of the spinal cord and brain;
  • acquired pathologies of the spinal cord and brain caused by injuries, including birth injuries, as well as cancer;
  • neurodegenerative diseases of the brain (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis);
  • inflammatory processes in the brain (encephalitis);
  • injuries of the pelvic organs.

Among other things, this syndrome can also be caused frequent stress or prolonged neurotic conditions.

Neurogenic bladder dysfunction: symptoms

In accordance with the nature of the bladder dysfunction, it is customary to distinguish two types of disease, each of which is characterized by its own symptoms:

  • hyperreflex (overactive) bladder;
  • hyporeflexive (hypoactive) bladder.

A hyperreflex bladder is characterized by high tone of the muscle wall, and therefore a failure in the process of urine accumulation, which leads to the following signs this type of bladder syndrome:

  • frequent urge to urinate with little urine;
  • imperative (suddenly occurring) urge to urinate, which provokes incontinence;
  • discomfort when urinating;
  • nocturia - frequent awakening at night due to the need to go to the toilet;
  • pain when urinating.

The hyporeflex bladder is characterized by neurogenic weakness, which explains the following manifestations of the disease:

  • weak urge to urinate even in the case of significant accumulation of urine;
  • difficulties with urination;
  • lack of feeling of complete emptying after going to the toilet;
  • pain when urinating.

Consequences and complications

Due to the fact that neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder is most often a symptom of more serious illnesses brain (including degenerative and oncological), timely diagnosis of this disease makes it possible to identify the causes of its occurrence, and therefore, if possible, quickly take action and avoid serious consequences.

In addition, bladder disease (both overactive and hypoactive types) can lead to complications, since problems with the accumulation and excretion of urine lead to infection of both the bladder itself and other pelvic organs (if the excess urine goes higher up the ureters), which can cause:

  • cystitis;
  • urethritis (inflammation of the urethra);
  • pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), as well as the formation of kidney stones.

In the case of an underactive bladder, excess urine also leads to stretching of the sphincter and bladder walls, which can also become a serious problem.

If the problems described above occur, as well as suspicion of bladder diseases, you need to contact someone who treats problems of the neurogenic bladder, as well as other diseases of the genitourinary system.

#!UroSeredina!#

Initial appointment

The initial appointment involves interviewing the patient, taking an anamnesis (recording the patient’s complaints and other information regarding his state of health) and a thorough examination with the appointment of tests and a set of diagnostic procedures.

Diagnosis (examination) of neurogenic bladder

Diagnosis of a disease such as a neurogenic bladder is complicated by the fact that this deviation has similar symptoms to other diseases of the genitourinary system. As a result, the examination involves the use of diagnostic measures:

  • blood tests and urine tests that help exclude infectious diseases genitourinary system;
  • Ultrasound: on ultrasound, the neurogenic bladder has its own characteristics (especially with the hypoactive type of the disease);
  • urethrography and cystography;
  • X-ray of the pelvic organs, which also allows you to identify concomitant diseases and complications.

If infectious or other non-neurological causes of the existing symptoms are not identified, the patient is prescribed studies of the spinal cord and brain:

  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
  • EEG (electroencephalography);
  • photographs of the skull and various parts of the spine.

Before starting the examination, the patient will need to keep a special diary for several days, where he will need to write down the amount of fluid consumed and the frequency of going to the toilet, as well as features of the urination process (volume of urine, presence/absence of discomfort, etc.).

Further treatment regimen

If the results of tests and diagnostic studies confirm the diagnosis of “neurogenic bladder,” the specialist will prescribe treatment that is aimed at eliminating the symptoms and factors causing the disease in men.

Due to the nature of the disease, its treatment most often involves the involvement of not only a urologist, but also a neurologist and a psychologist.

Treatment of the bladder, including neurogenic one, involves the use of a set of measures of various levels and scopes of action, which include:

  • drug treatment: depending on the type of disease, either drugs are prescribed that reduce muscle tone, or, on the contrary, increase it. In addition, since one of the complications of this bladder syndrome is infectious diseases of the pelvic organs, anti-inflammatory drugs can also be prescribed, whose action is aimed at destroying the infection (in the bladder, ureters, urethra, kidneys, etc.). Medicines are also used to improve blood circulation in the walls of the bladder (both in the form of tablets and injections). Drug treatment is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor, which makes it possible to monitor the effectiveness of treatment and the body’s response to drugs (if necessary, the combination of drugs and doses can be adjusted).
  • physiotherapy - physiotherapeutic methods are also aimed at stimulating normal operation the walls of the bladder and sphincter, as well as the functioning of the nervous system itself (spinal cord and brain).
  • psychotherapy - regardless of whether the disease was caused psychological reasons(stress, neuroses) or not, consultations with a psychologist during the treatment process allow the patient to cope with the disease and its psychological influence on his daily life.
  • complex of exercise therapy (physical therapy), aimed at strengthening the muscles of the bladder and urinary system (involves conscious tension and relaxation of the corresponding muscles), as well as different departments spine and pelvis (especially in the case of traumas suffered in this area). Exercise therapy is considered a very effective (and at the same time quite gentle) method of combating neurological bladder diseases.
  • surgery- can be recommended in difficult cases. It is plastic surgery of the bladder (musculo-ligamentous apparatus), as well as correction of the nervous apparatus of the urethra.

In addition, the patient is recommended to reduce the consumption of liquids, as well as salty foods, and, if possible, avoid consuming liquids 2-3 hours before bedtime in order to avoid cases of incontinence, as well as frequent trips to the toilet at night. However, such restrictions should not affect water balance body and lead to dehydration. In serious cases, if incontinence becomes a constant problem and causes constant discomfort to the patient, wearing special absorbent underwear may be recommended to avoid the unpleasant consequences of failure to empty the bladder.

The results and duration of treatment depend on the stage and type of the disease, as well as on the patient’s interest in recovery (with proper treatment, the unpleasant symptoms of the disease can either be reduced to zero or reduced to the minimum possible).

Due to the fact that this syndrome is caused by neurological problems, measures to prevent it include:

  • preventive examinations by a neurologist, as well as an oncologist (especially if there have been cases of the disease in the family oncological diseases and diseases of a neurodegenerative nature);
  • timely and correct treatment of spinal cord and brain injuries;
  • healthy image life: diet, moderate physical activity;
  • reducing, if possible, the amount of stress and neurotic situations that can lead to various kinds of disorders, not only bladder disorders;
  • timely visit to the urologist for preventive purposes, as well as in the event of the above problems, since the neurogenic bladder and its accompanying diseases can be cured the faster and more effectively the sooner the patient consults a doctor. At the same time, self-medication is strongly not recommended, because you can not only waste time, but also worsen your condition.

You can make an appointment with a specialist at the Energo clinic by using a special form on the clinic’s website or simply by calling. A timely visit to a doctor will solve everything unpleasant problems and bring comfort and tranquility back into your life.

Neurogenic bladder, abbreviated as bladder dysfunction or organ dysfunction, is a pathological condition in which the process of accumulation and removal of biological fluid from the body is disrupted. This occurs in situations where there are problems in the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain.

The presented condition is not an independent disease. It always occurs in patients who have other acquired or chronic pathologies. The frequency of diagnosis of the disorder is similar between both sexes, so it is worth considering how treatment is carried out. Neurogenic bladder in men and women is also accompanied by different symptoms, has several types.

Species

In urological practice, there are three types of NMP. The principle of classification is based on the distribution of pathologies depending on the volume of the organ. That is, the factor taken into account is when the process of urination occurs, together with how full the bladder is currently.

NMP can be of several varieties. Source: health-ua.com

Bladder dysfunction occurs:

  1. Hyperreflex – a person feels the urge to defecate when a small amount of biological fluid has accumulated in the hollow organ (urine approaches the lower level or is slightly higher);
  2. Hyporeflex – observed in patients who feel the urge to urinate when the organ is filled with urine above the upper limit;
  3. Normoreflex - the urge begins at the moment when the biological fluid is at the middle level, which is considered normal.

The neurogenic bladder in women can be adapted or non-adapted. These conditions are distinguished depending on how evenly the organ is filled with urine. In the first case, the biological fluid is distributed equally, and in the second, it is distributed in jumps or periods, which provokes pain due to increased pressure. Against this background, patients often develop a state of urinary incontinence.

It is also worth noting that there is a neurogenic bladder in men and women of the postural type. It differs from the previously described varieties in that unpleasant symptoms can be traced only when the person is in a lying position; standing, no problems arise.

Reasons

Neurogenic bladder, the treatment of which is within the competence of a urologist, develops as a result of the disruption of the relationship between nerve impulses and the brain, the department of which is responsible for the normal and full functioning of this organ.

Causes of pathology development and provoking factors. Source: propochki.info

This condition may occur due to improper functioning of the urination centers in the brain or spine. Experts identify several provoking pathologies:

  • Encephalitis;
  • Tumor formations;
  • Post-vaccination neuritis;
  • Diabetic neuritis;
  • Tuberculosis;
  • Cholesteatoma;
  • Multiple sclerosis;
  • Vertebral hernia;
  • Spinal injuries and bruises;
  • Stroke;
  • Heavy labor activity with nerve injuries in the pelvic organs;
  • Diseases and abnormalities of the structure of the brain and spine of a congenital nature;
  • Obstructive uropathy;
  • Megalocyst.

The mechanism of development of neurogenic bladder weakness is quite complex. Defecation is complex process, which occurs at a reflex level after the organ is filled with biological fluid. If any pathology, or disruption in the functioning of the body system, affects it negative impact, then the chain of reflexes that previously performed normal urination is broken and various problems begin to arise with the accumulation, retention and excretion of urine.

Neurogenic bladder dysfunction manifests itself differently in adults and children. The severity of the clinical picture is directly affected by the cause that led to the occurrence of this disorder. Once the innervation of the bladder is disrupted, the same can be observed in the kidneys, rectum, and reproductive organs.

Manifestation

The condition in question is a specific disorder in which all patients complain that they have problems with the process of removing biological fluid (urine) from the body. However, it is worth understanding that all the signs that will be described below can occur singly or in combination, and also have varying degrees of severity.

The pathological condition is accompanied by various unpleasant symptoms. Source: 1lustiness.ru

Among the main symptoms, experts identify the following:

  1. Sudden urge to defecate;
  2. Feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen;
  3. Lack of urge to urinate or it is extremely weak;
  4. Inability to hold urine;
  5. Retention of biological fluid in the body;
  6. Difficulty urinating.

Almost all patients, when talking with a urologist, pay attention to the fact that the previously reliable stream has become sluggish or weakened. Also, people are often tormented by the feeling that the organ has not completely defecated, which causes a feeling of increased pressure in the abdomen. Less often, people are faced with the fact that they have to make some effort to start the process of urination.

Along with this, other unpleasant accompanying symptoms appear:

  1. Inability to perform an act of defecation;
  2. Fecal incontinence;
  3. Menstrual irregularities;
  4. Decreased level of sexual desire;
  5. Development of erectile dysfunction;
  6. Formation trophic ulcers and bedsores;
  7. Changes in a person's gait;
  8. Fluctuations in temperature and pain sensitivity of the legs.

In situations where neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder is not diagnosed in a timely manner and the pathology progresses, the process may involve upper sections this system. This becomes the reason that the described symptoms are joined by conditions characteristic of kidney damage: increased body temperature, pain in lumbar region back, loss of appetite, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting (CRF).

Diagnostics

Neurogenic bladder (symptoms in women and men were discussed earlier), accompanied by a complex nonspecific symptoms and conditions that may arise when various pathologies. This is why doctors pay special attention qualitative differential diagnosis.

During a standard visual examination of the patient, the presence or absence of the following indicators is taken into account:

  • Pallor of the skin;
  • Reduced body weight;
  • Presence of urea odor from the oral cavity;
  • Dry mucous membranes;
  • Unsteady “duck” gait;
  • The presence of bedsores or scars after surgical treatment;
  • Signs of spina bifida;
  • Paralysis or paresis of the lower extremities;
  • Formation in the lower abdomen in the form of a tumor;
  • Complaints about problems with urination (wet underwear, unnatural smell of urine).

This is the initial examination of the patient. If a person cannot answer the specialist’s questions on his own, or has diseases that do not allow him to do so, it is necessary that one of his relatives or close people be at the appointment. The information specified in the outpatient card is also taken into account.

The patient's uroflowmetry parameters are normal. Source: en.ppt-online.org.jpg

Among instrumental and laboratory methods diagnostics, preference is given to the following procedures:

  1. Clinical and biochemical blood tests;
  2. General urine analysis, according to Zimnitsky, according to Nicheporenko;
  3. Excretory urography;
  4. Survey radiography;
  5. Urethrocystography;
  6. Cystoscopy;
  7. Ultrasound screening;
  8. Radioisotope study of the kidneys;
  9. Urofluometry.

The patient himself, or his relatives, must take an active part during the collection of anamnesis. The more detailed information and the truthful information they give about your health status, the greater the likelihood that the specialist will make the correct diagnosis the first time.

Treatment

Since each patient has a different clinical picture and the severity of bladder dysfunction, it is impossible to offer a single treatment regimen for everyone. In each case, individual treatment tactics are selected, and the approach must be comprehensive, otherwise it is difficult to achieve positive dynamics.

Medication

If there is a condition such as urine retention in the body, then it is necessary to take medications whose action is aimed at relaxing the muscles of the organ. In this case, alpha-blockers are used, among which preference is given to Tropaphen or Phentolamine, which is determined by the leading specialist.

When doctors are faced with the task of facilitating the rapid removal of biological fluid from the body, they need to create conditions of increased pressure in the organ, which will strengthen the tone of the detrusor muscles. Beta-blockers, for example, Inderal or Carbohol, do an excellent job of this task.

Inderal is used in complex drug therapy.

The bladder performs a lot of important tasks: it stores urine and facilitates its excretion. The nervous system is responsible for this process. When the process is disrupted, the area of ​​the brain that controls the process of urination is damaged, a disease called neurogenic bladder is formed.

During the course of the disease, there is a decrease in the activity of the bladder, or, conversely, a hypertensive state, in which the activity of the organ increases. All pathological process leads to urinary incontinence, which brings a lot of problems to the victim.

Etiology of the disease

The walls of the human bladder are covered with a mucous layer that includes nerve endings. After the organ is filled with urine, a signal is sent to the brain, which creates a desire to urinate. During urination, signals are sent to the brain that there is no urine. As a result of any pathologies in the spinal cord or brain, or if the functioning of the urinary organs is disrupted, a person ceases to feel the filling of the bladder and the need to empty it.

The disease can occur on its own; this pathology is caused by congenital disorders in the functioning of the patient's nervous system. The illness may be acquired (provoked by the same reasons, but against the background of various injuries/other unfavorable factors). The neurological nature of the neurogenic bladder in the fair sex complicates the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

The main reasons for the formation of the disease are considered to be a violation of the neurological connection between special areas of the brain and the nerve endings of the bladder, often the patient’s sphincter.

The pathological process is formed against the background of many unfavorable factors:

  • inflammatory and degenerative processes, tumors in the patient’s brain (encephalitis, diabetic nephritis and other pathological conditions);
  • traumatic lesions of specific areas of the brain, bladder (ruptures, strokes, damage to the walls of the urinary organ during difficult childbirth, surgical intervention in the pelvic organs);
  • congenital pathologies of the terminal part of the spine, human spinal cord;
  • course of inflammatory diseases genitourinary organs in a chronic form (for example,).

Also the reason pathological condition women often get prolonged depression, frequent stressful situations.

Signs and symptoms of pathology

Signs of a neurogenic bladder in the fair sex manifest themselves differently, it all depends on at what stage of urination the failure occurred. This aspect also affects the consistency clinical manifestations(episodic, periodic, constant), severity of the disease.

The urinary process consists of several stages: accumulation, excretion. At the first stage, urine enters the bladder and accumulates there (until about 150 ml of liquid is obtained). Then, with the normal functioning of all systems, a special release system is activated. A neurogenic bladder can form at any stage; there are two types of pathological condition: hypertensive and hypotonic.

An overactive bladder manifests itself with unpleasant symptoms:

  • patients complain of a frequent urge to excrete urine from the body, even in the presence of a small amount of urine;
  • the urge to urinate is so strong that the patient is unable to restrain it;
  • in the background strong voltage The bladder muscles return fluid back to the ureters. The pathology has a name - vesicoureteral reflux;
  • frequent urge to go to the toilet occurs at night;
  • discomfort during bowel movement

The hypoactive form of the disease manifests itself in the opposite way clinical picture: there is no normal process of urination, even with a full bladder (the amount of accumulated fluid in some cases can exceed 1500 ml).

Note! The main symptom of the disease can be considered the patient’s lack of control over the process of urination. This pathology is observed in children at an age when the reflex should be formed, but it still does not exist; in adults who have lost control of the process of emptying the bladder.

Diagnostics

If a neurogenic bladder is suspected, an examination by a nephrologist is recommended. Then The patient is prescribed a series of tests to identify the root cause of the disease:

  • general, biochemical research blood and urine can reveal the infectious nature of the disease or refute suspicions;
  • Ultrasound, X-ray studies;
  • urography;
  • urethrocystography.

All patients with this diagnosis are sent for a consultation with a neurologist or psychologist. Often the disease develops against the background of disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system as a result of severe nervous shock. In case of unclear etiology of the disease, the patient is prescribed MRI and EEG.

Effective treatments

Considering the etiology of the disease, not only a nephrologist, but also a neurologist and psychologist are often involved in treatment. Elimination of a neurogenic bladder includes a complex of therapeutic measures:

  • drug therapy. Depending on the nature of the disease, the patient is prescribed medications that increase/decrease muscle tone. Anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics are often used to eliminate infections in all organs of the urinary tract. Patients are advised to take medications that improve blood circulation for good conduction of nerve impulses;
  • physiotherapy (magnetic therapy, electrotherapy). The techniques are aimed at restoring the functioning of the urinary storage organ, sphincter; some procedures have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the patient’s nervous system;
  • Exercise therapy. Medical therapy is a special set of exercises that train the bladder to increase the capabilities of its muscles;
  • psychotherapy. If the disease is associated with nervous shocks, which is often noted in women, working with a psychologist is simply necessary. Eliminating psychological discomfort in most cases allows you to get rid of problems with urination in in full;
  • surgical intervention. Indicated in advanced cases, when the selected methods of therapy are ineffective. The operation is a plastic change in the bladder; doctors also correct the nervous apparatus of the urethra.

If the chosen treatment tactics are ineffective, the patient is prescribed catheterization, which allows control of the urination process.

Folk remedies and recipes

Drugs are used as auxiliary therapy to reduce pain syndrome, relieve discomfort:

  • St. John's wort, centaury. Mix 20 grams of each plant, add half a liter of water, wait half an hour. Take the finished drug instead of tea, especially in the late afternoon;
  • cowberry. Pour 40 grams of the chosen product with a liter of boiling water, wait until it cools completely, take instead of water for one week;
  • elecampane. You will need a tablespoon of elecampane rhizome, chop 50 grams of the resulting product, add a glass of water, and boil for a quarter of an hour. Before use, strain, add a spoonful of honey, take 30 ml three times a day before meals;
  • onions. One onion small size finely grate, add a tablespoon of honey, the same amount of crushed chalk, half a grated apple. Take the prepared mixture in full before meals. The course of therapy depends on the complexity of the disease.

Before use natural remedies consult your doctor.

Possible complications

Neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder can be caused by serious pathologies (oncological formations, degenerative changes in the brain). Timely diagnosis problems, proper treatment will help to avoid serious consequences, even death.

Read here about what renal nephrolithiasis is and how to treat the disease.

Pathologies of urination can lead to infection of the bladder and kidneys (stagnant urine easily penetrates the ureters and kidneys, infecting them), which contributes to the formation of:

An underactive bladder leads to sphincter stretching, which can become a huge problem for a woman in the future.

Doctors recommend preventing the formation of the disease in the fair sex in several ways:

  • regularly visit a neurologist or oncologist for preventive purposes, especially if there are cases in the family oncological diseases, neurodegenerative diseases;
  • promptly and correctly treat neurological diseases;
  • if possible, reduce the number stressful situations, worry less. Neurotic situations can lead not only to urinary disorders, but also to more serious diseases;
  • visit a gynecologist twice a year, take care women's health. Difficult childbirth becomes common cause problems with the urinary tract.

Self-medication is strictly prohibited, You will not only lose valuable time, but you can also harm your health. Entrust the treatment of your pathological condition to a specialist and follow his recommendations flawlessly.

Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment rules for neurogenic bladder in women from the following video: