Overactive Bladder
Medical Author:
Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH
Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPHDr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Overactive Bladder SymptomsThe main symptoms of overactive bladder are:
You may have some or all of these symptoms. SOURCE: Overactive Bladder OverviewOveractive bladder (OAB) is a type of urinary incontinence causing involuntary loss of bladder control and the urge to urinate. This is usually caused by abnormal contractions of the muscles of the urinary bladder (mainly detrusor muscle), resulting in a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate (called urinary urgency) with or without actual leakage of urine, even thought only small amounts of urine may be in the bladder. Overactive bladder may also be associated with frequent urination (urinary frequency) and nighttime urination (nocturia). OAB is not the only cause for these symptoms; other possibilities include urinary tract infection, diabetes, medication use such as diuretics (water pills), prostate disease, bladder tumors, or interstitial cystitis (causing pelvic pain, urinary frequency, and urgency). Another type of urinary incontinence is called stress incontinence, which results from weakness of the sphincter and other structures designed to keep urine from leaking out of the bladder. Furthermore, overflow incontinence results from accumulation of excessive amounts of urine in the bladder. Overactive bladder can happen at any age, but it is most common in the elderly population. Recent surveys have suggested a prevalence of 10%-20% in the population over 40 years of age with similar numbers in men compared to women. It is worth mentioning, however, that men tend to develop this condition later in life than do women. Even though overactive bladder is a benign condition, it impacts the quality of life of those who suffer from it. Fear and embarrassment from urinary urgency and incontinence in public and among family and friends may result in social isolation, guilt, depressive symptoms, and intimacy issues. Family members of the elderly with OAB are often dealt the burden of assisting their loved ones with toileting, cleaning, hygiene, and personal distress. |
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Most people typically urinate four to eight times a day. Needing to go more than eight times a day or waking up in the night to go to the bathroom more than once in the night is considered frequent urination. Though the bladder can often hold as much as 600 ml of urine (about 2 ½ cups), the urge to urinate is usually felt when the bladder contains about 150 ml of urine (just over ½ cup).
There are two different ways to look at frequent urination: either as an increase in total volume of urine produced (polyuria) or a dysfunction in the storage and emptying of urine.
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