Overactive Bladder

What is an Overactive Bladder?

Overactive bladder, or OAB, is a condition in which you have frequent, sudden urges to urinate and may experience leaking urine as a result. You might feel strong urges to urinate often throughout the day and at night. Overactive bladder can make you feel self-conscious or cause you to avoid social situations. Treatment can offer you relief and improve your quality of life.

What are the Symptoms of Overactive Bladder?

The following signs and symptoms can indicate you have overactive bladder:

• Strong, sudden urges to urinate often
• Urinating eight or more times within 24 hours
• Leaking urine, or urinary incontinence
• Waking up more than two times at night to urinate

Frequent trips to the bathroom and leaking urine can disrupt your sleep, social life, and reduce your overall quality of life.

What are the Risk Factors for Overactive Bladder?

Overactive bladder can happen to anybody, but certain factors increase your risk of experiencing it. Examples include older age, neurological disorders, diabetes, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, tumors, or hormone changes in women. Consuming caffeine or alcohol and taking certain medications can also contribute to unpleasant urinary symptoms.

How is Overactive Bladder Diagnosed?

To find out if you have an overactive bladder and develop a treatment plan, Dr. Brown & Dr. Moore will review your symptoms and medical history. They complete a physical exam, which might include pelvic and rectal examinations. The doctors might recommend a neurological exam, urine tests, and bladder function tests to diagnose your condition.

How is Overactive Bladder Treated?

To treat overactive bladder and give you a better quality of life, Dr. Brown & Dr. Moore may suggest the following:

• Medications: Taking certain medications, available as liquids, patches, or pills, help control bladder muscles and nerves. Because these medicines can cause dry eyes, using eye drops might be part of your treatment plan.
• Lifestyle Changes: Making lifestyle changes can reduce the severity of an overactive bladder. Maintain a healthy weight, get daily exercise, limit alcohol and caffeine, don’t smoke, do kegel exercises, and properly manage diabetes or other chronic diseases.
• Sacral Neuromodulation Therapy: Sacral nerve stimulation using Axonics® and InterStim™ technology stimulates nerves between your bladder and brain to better control bladder function and reduce incontinence.

• Surgery: In severe cases of an overactive bladder, Dr. Brown & Dr. Brown might recommend minimally invasive surgical procedures to reduce symptoms and offer long-lasting relief.

There is no need to live with an overactive bladder when numerous treatments are available.