Talking to your Doctor about Overactive Bladder

Blog

An informative guide for patients on how to have effective conversations with your GP about Overactive Bladder; including a checklist of questions and potential concerns to raise.

Talking to your Doctor about Overactive Bladder

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is a medical problem that affects how your bladder behaves by causing involuntary and sudden contraction or squeezing of the muscle in the wall of the bladder – even when the volume of urine in your bladder is low. With OAB, your bladder works overtime – giving your brain the wrong messages, causing your bladder to feel fuller than it actually is. OAB can have a significant impact on your daily routine, limiting social activities and disrupting sleep.

 

Thankfully, OAB is both manageable and treatable. The best way to begin the process of getting relief from the symptoms of OAB is by talking to your doctor. We spoke to two healthcare professionals, Dr. Sarah Murphy and Dr. James Forde, to learn more about the positive impact that comes from speaking to your GP about OAB.

Starting the Conversation

Managing OAB starts with understanding your symptoms and seeking the right support from your GP. Embarrassment and stigma can make starting a conversation with your doctor difficult, but it’s important to remember that your GP is there to help. “If you’re able to go in and say, ‘I think I have OAB,’ amazing”, says Dr. Murphy, “but don’t worry if you can’t—just go in and say, ‘I’m getting up three times a night,’ or ‘I need to know where every toilet is when I go out.’ The GP will be able to piece all that together.” To help support you, here are our tips for how to prepare for an appointment with your GP.

1. Fill out a Bladder Diary 

A bladder diary is an incredible resource that can help your doctor understand the OAB symptoms you’ve been experiencing. By logging your toilet trips and fluid intake over a 72- hour period – along with whether your urge to urinate was ‘strong’ or ‘mild’ – your bladder diary can provide vital information to your doctor and help them make informed decisions about the best way to treat your OAB. Simply fill in the bladder diary as accurately as possible for three days, bring it to your appointment and discuss the information with your GP.

2. Have some Questions Ready

Having a conversation with your doctor about OAB can be difficult, so our advice is to prepare for your appointment by writing down the questions you need answered in advance. Here’s some of the questions that you should consider asking your GP:

  • What causes OAB? 
  • Is OAB treatable?
  • Will my OAB get worse over time?
  • Is experiencing OAB just part of getting older?
  • How do I know if I’m urinating ‘too often’?
  • Sometimes I leak urine, what can I do?
  • Is OAB affected by what I eat or drink?
  • Can OAB lead to more serious medical problems?

By having some questions prepared before you visit your GP, you can help ensure that your appointment goes well, and you end up getting the support you need.

3. Be Informed about Treatment Options

Understanding the way that OAB is treated and managed can help you approach your conversation with your GP full of confidence. Once your GP understands the symptoms you’ve been experiencing, they will be able to determine whether they are being caused by OAB or by another condition. Their expert opinion can help give you peace of mind and ensure that you get specific, tailored care that helps alleviate your symptoms. Treatment for OAB can look different depending on who you are and what you are experiencing – your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, bladder training or pelvic floor exercises to help provide relief. As Dr. Forde notes, “we start with lifestyle modifications—checking fluid intake, reducing caffeine, and bladder training exercises to help delay urgency.”

 

If these treatments don’t provide sufficient relief from the symptoms of OAB, your doctor may suggest medication or surgical intervention. “If lifestyle changes don’t work, medications can help. And for severe cases, there are surgical treatments that can be life-changing”, explains Dr. Forde.

 

By understanding the breadth of treatments available to help alleviate the symptoms of Overactive Bladder, you can go into your GP appointment fully informed about the potential treatments you may be prescribed.

 

Bladder Control Questionnaire

Bladder Control Questionnaire

If you think you may be experiencing a bladder control problem, try the questionnaire.

 

MAT-IE-NON-2025-00025 April 2025