Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is an urgent or uncontrolled need to urinate. Sometimes it can cause urine to leak. Patients with overactive bladder need to urinate many times during the day and night. They feel an urgency to go to the bathroom that they cannot control.

Overactive bladder happens when the bladder muscles contract when they should not, regardless of the amount of urine in the bladder. A variety of underlying conditions or medications may cause these contractions. OAB is more common in women and the elderly.

Common causes of overactive bladder include: 

• Aging that causes cognitive function decline and affects the bladder's ability to receive signals from the brain
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH (prostate gland enlargement) that causes bladder obstruction (blockage) 
• Bladder cancer
• Bladder stones (small, hard mineral masses that form in the bladder) 
• Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol or caffeine 
• Nerve damage
• Neurological (nervous system) disorders or stroke
• Poor kidney function
• Side effects of certain medications
• Urinary tract infections (infections in any part of the urinary system)

The symptoms of overactive bladder include:

• Frequency – the need to urinate frequently during the day or night
• Incontinence – leaking urine 
• Urgency – a sudden urge to urinate

Our urologists do a thorough physical examination and collect your medical history. We listen as you describe your symptoms and work with you to find the right diagnosis.
 
You may have additional testing for OAB, such as:

• Cystoscopy. Test that passes a thin tube with a camera through the urethra (tube that carries urine in the body) to see the bladder. 
• Cytometry. Test that measures the pressure in the bladder
• Post-void residual urine test. Measures the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination
• Urinalysis. Tests urine after collecting it in a clean cup. 
• Urinary stress test. Test involves adding fluid to the bladder with a catheter (thin tube) and having the patient cough to see if it leaks.
• Ultrasound. Uses a machine that makes sound waves to create images of the bladder.  

We have experience in a variety of innovative, leading-edge treatments for overactive bladder. Our mission is to find the right treatment for you and to help you feel better.  

Your treatment options may include: 

• Avoiding bladder irritants such as coffee and alcohol 
• Botox injections (chemical block) to improve bladder control 
• Diet changes 
• Losing weight
• Managing fluids 
• Neuromodulation (minimally invasive devices implanted along the nerves to help control the bladder) 
• Pelvic floor therapy (exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor  – muscles that support the bladder, bowel and genitals) 
• Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation or PTNS (acupuncture needle treatment placed behind the ankle to help with bladder control)
• Using a catheter (thin tube) to empty the bladder periodically
• Taking medications for overactive bladder