An overactive bladder (OAB) refers to the frequent and urgent need to urinate.
At least 4 in 10 women suffer from OAB.
More than one in two women think that the symptoms of OAB are normal signs of aging – but that’s not the case.
OAB can be treated, but it does not go away on its own.
Symptoms of an overactive bladder
- Urgency: Sudden and urgent need to pee
- Urge incontinence: The sudden and urgent need to urinate that causes you to leak urine
- Frequency: Peeing 8 or more times in 24 hours
- Nocturia: Waking up more than once at night to pee. In a recent survey, three out of five women with symptoms found leaking urine “extremely bothersome.”
If OAB is not treated, symptoms can worsen.
Three out of four women with OAB report some negative effects of the condition, including:
Getting a bad night’s sleep
Impairment of social activities
Concerns about intimacy
Who can help with overactive bladder?
Family doctor or gynecologist
- Your first point of contact
- Can diagnose you and refer you to specialists
Urologists
- Specialized in the urinary tract
Urogynecologists
- Specialized in the female urinary tract and pelvic floor
Pelvic floor therapists
- Physiotherapists who specialize in the pelvic floor
Treatments for overactive bladder
One treatment option alone may be enough for you. Or you may need to try several treatments together.
Treatments include
Lifestyle changes
- Bladder training
- Keep a bladder diary
- Track what you eat and drink and when you feel the urge to pee
- Double emptying
- A few seconds after you’ve already peed, pee again
- Delayed emptying
- I wait a little longer to pee every time
- Timed pee
- Only pee at certain set times, whether you have to or not
- Exercises for the pelvic floor muscles
- Biofeedback uses sensors to help you control your pelvic floor muscles
- Stop consuming tobacco products
- Adjust your diet
- Drink enough water
- Limit foods and drinks that irritate your bladder
- Caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, acidic foods such as citrus fruits or tomatoes, chocolate, spicy foods
- Exercise every day
Medication
- Relaxant for the bladder muscles
- Can be taken orally or applied to the skin via a gel or patch
- Botox
- Injections into the bladder muscle relax it
- Vaginal estrogen therapy for postmenopausal women
- Certain antidepressants
Nerve stimulation
Electrical impulses can help nerve signals between your brain and bladder communicate better.
- Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS)
- Sends impulses through your leg to your lower back
- Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM)
- Sends mild electrical impulses to stimulate the nerves that control your bladder
New implantable and wearable devices offer more options for nerve stimulation treatment at home.
operation
In very serious cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to enlarge your bladder or redirect urine flow.
Do you have symptoms? Get treatment.
This educational resource was created with the support of Sumitomo Pharma America Inc.
