If you have an overactive bladder you may experience a frequent, intense and urgent need to urinate. In some cases, it is so sudden that you have trouble making it to the bathroom in time. OAB is caused by involuntary bladder contractions and is characterised by a group of four symptoms:
If you think you may be experiencing a bladder control problem, try the questionnaire.
OAB can be managed with the appropriate treatment. You should approach your GP to determine whether the symptoms you are experiencing are due to overactive bladder or another condition, and to decide which treatment is the best. The diagnosis of OAB is made primarily on the person's signs and symptoms and by ruling out other possible causes such as an infection.
The more information you have for the doctor about your symptoms, the more straightforward it will be to make a diagnosis. You may be asked to answer questions about patterns of passing urine; daily fluid intake; if you are taking any medications or supplements and to discuss any medical conditions you may have. Your doctor may conduct simple tests and possibly suggest that you keep a bladder diary recording your bathroom trips. A minority of people may require referral to a specialist for further tests. These may include urodynamic testing, which is usually carried out as an outpatient procedure in a hospital. Urodynamic 3 testing may involve measuring the pressure inside the bladder while the bladder is being filled.
Stress incontinence, notably different from OAB and urge incontinence is an accidental leakage of urine during physical activity or exertion, for example :
It is the most common form of urinary incontinence in women. Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles that control your urine flow become weak. 4 The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and urethra (the tube that allows urine to pass from the bladder out of the body) and the urinary sphincter (a valve-like muscle around the opening of the bladder) squeezes to prevent urine from leaking through the urethra. Your pelvic floor muscles and urinary sphincter may lose strength because of childbirth (in women), injury to the urethra area, and surgery in the pelvic area or the prostate (in men). Stress incontinence problems in women may increase around the time of menopause and thereafter.