Stopping the Going: Overactive Bladder

IRVINE, CA (American Health Newswire) -- If you thought overactive bladder only affects the elderly

couple down the block, think again. 200 million folks across the world are dealing with that constant urge right now. That's more than the amount diagnosed with diabetes and breast cancer this year. Now, two new studies show how two new procedures are helping out in a big way.

"I was just constantly worried about where the restroom was," Claudia Angel, who suffered from incontinence, told American Health.

A common complaint if you've got an overactive bladder. Folks like Linda Krogstad know the frustration.

"I've been doing all kinds of things to help it, but nothing seemed to help," Krogstad said.

Numbers show overactive bladder affects 17 percent of women over 18, and 16 percent of men 18 plus. So doctors are using what's called neuro-modulation to stop urgency, frequency,

and retention. An implant delivers electrical pulses to restore communication between bladder and brain. New studies show 85 percent of these patients report less urgency and frequency.

"The idea of it is it's similar to a pacemaker and the thought is that there is a miscommunication between the brain and the bladder," Karen Noblett, M.D., from the University of California, Irvine, explained.

Next, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation or PTNS. Needles are inserted in the ankle sending electric pulses to the sacral nerve to relax the bladder.  A European study found 79 percent of recipients claimed to be "cured" after treatment.

"They stick a little, like, an acupuncture needle in your nerve down by your ankle up your foot that goes to your sacral nerve," Krogstad said.

The process was a breeze for Linda, no pain, and no side effects. She's now living life again for the first time.

"I just do a lot more, I'm more active than I was before where I would just stay home and sit around," Krogstad

The PTNS therapy is a lengthy process involving 12 half-hour sessions. Sadly, each session can cost up to 200 bucks and they're not always covered by insurers.

Shingles Vaccine Gets the Job Done

(American Health Newswire) -- There are more than 1 million episodes of shingles every year in the United States. It is a painful condition that can last months or years and can seriously impact quality of life. Getting the herpes zoster vaccine was associated with a 55-percent reduced risk of developing shingles, according to a new study.

This study observed the outcomes of the effectiveness of the herpes zoster vaccine in a large, diverse population of men and women ages 60 years and older. Researchers found a significant reduced risk of shingles across all sub-groups, including those who are healthy as well as those with chronic conditions.

These findings support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to give the vaccine to eligible patients of all ages, including those over 75 years of age. Researchers note that additional examination of the vaccine's effect in the oldest group should continue.

"Our study shows the vaccine has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of cases of shingles -- a painful, lingering disease," study lead author Hung Fu Tseng, Ph.D., M.P.H., a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research & Evaluation in Pasadena, Calif., was quoted as saying. "We suggest clinicians follow the CDC's recommendations to talk to their patients about the

option of vaccination against this serious condition."

Shingles is caused by the dormant chickenpox virus, which stays in the body after a person has recovered from chickenpox. The virus can reactivate and replicate and cause shingles and damage to the nerve system. The elderly are especially vulnerable because, as we age, our immunity against the virus that causes shingles declines.

"The risk of developing shingles during a lifetime is about 30 percent. It is therefore reassuring to confirm results of the original clinical trial that herpes zoster vaccine is effective at preventing this painful disease," study co-author Rafael Harpaz, M.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, was quoted as saying. "Although that trial was well done, one cannot be sure a vaccine works outside a research setting until you evaluate it in routine medical practices. In addition, our study also provided new information that the vaccine worked to prevent shingles involving the eye, which can result in very serious complications."

SOURCE: JAMA, published online January 11, 2011