Researcher Cosimo De Nunzio explained, “We know that long-term night work is stressful, and is associated with increased levels of health problems. This work shows that constant night workers may have a higher urinary frequency as well as a decline in their own quality of life.”
“One of the most concerning things about this work is everyone in our sample was under 50. We normally expect bladder problems with older people, but here we have younger people expressing a deteriorating quality of life,” he added.
The researchers surveyed 68 men and 68 women between March and October 2018. Sixty-six of the participants worked night shifts. Participants answered questionnaires regarding overactive bladder symptoms. The average night shift worker had a questionnaire score of 31, while a daytime worker had a score of 19.
Night shift workers also reported a worsened quality of life with an average score of 41 versus a daytime score of 31.
Aside from night shifts, other risk factors for overactive bladder include being obese or overweight, having had a previous stroke, diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, spinal cord injury, multiple pregnancies, prostate surgery, and previous pelvic surgery.
Many people don’t seek treatment for overactive bladder because they believe there isn’t much that can be done, so they suffer in silence. This can negatively impact a person’s life. There are actually many different available treatment options for overactive bladder, and by talking and being open with your doctor about your symptoms, they can help you find the best appropriate treatment to suit your needs.