Navigating life with an overactive bladder

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Navigating life with an overactive bladder

Frequent urination and sudden urgency can begin to impact confidence, sleep, social activities. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB).

What is overactive bladder?

Overactive Bladder, sometimes referred to as “OAB,” is an umbrella term that includes frequent and urgent need to empty your bladder. Overactive bladder causes sudden urges to urinate that may be hard to control¹ resulting in unintentional urine loss. There might be a need to pass urine many times during the day and night and there may also be loss of urine that isn't intended, called urgency incontinence.¹⁰

Symptoms of OAB may feel unpredictable and may begin to interfere with everyday activities including sleep, work, travel, exercise and social activities. While OAB is common, it is simply not a normal part of aging. Understanding your symptoms is an important first step towards finding support and learning about management and treatment options that may help improve bladder control.

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Overactive Bladder

20%

is a common condition with an estimated global prevalence around 20%¹¹

Do You Have Symptoms of an Overactive Bladder?

Do you feel like you’re always running to the bathroom? Do you feel like sometimes you won’t make it in time? Is the need to be close to the toilet preventing you from doing the things you want to do?

OAB can have a considerable impact on daily functioning and emotional well-being, including impact on self-esteem, social isolation, psychological distress, limitation of activities, interference with work, impact on sleep, relationships and decreased quality of life⁴ and stigmatisation.¹² Although OAB is common with age, is not an inevitable part of aging and can often be managed or treated.

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You may be suffering from an overactive bladder if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Urgency

Your experience a sudden or compelling need to urinate with the inability to hold urine or control it.

Urgency Incontinence

Your experience an urgent need to urinate and have urinary leakage accidents or trouble holding urine before making it to the restroom.

Frequency

You go to the toilet to urinate so often that it disrupts your life; typically, eight (8) or more times a day.

Nocturia

You wake up more than one (1) time per night because you need to urinate.

What Causes Overactive Bladder (OAB)?

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition that occurs when signals between the bladder and the brain are impaired, leading to frequent and false warnings indicating bladder fullness or warnings that come too late for a person to reach a toilet in time.

Bladder accidents resulting from an urgent need to urinate are referred to as Urgency Incontinence. This is when the bladder nerves detect fullness, sending signals to the brain. During normal function, the bladder alerts the brain before it reaches capacity, allowing for sufficient time for an individual to reach the toilet.

OAB may occur when normal communication between the bladder and the brain becomes disrupted. Possible contributing factors include:

Age-related bladder changes
Neurological conditions (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke)^{8, 9}
Diabetes^{8, 9}
Spinal cord injury
Bladder inflammation
Certain medications

When might it be time to see a specialist about your OAB symptoms?

When your symptoms continue, despite dietary or lifestyle modifications or medications, it may be time to explore whether other treatment approaches could be appropriate for your situation.

Your GP may refer you to a specialist such as a urologist or urogynaecologist, to help identify whether current treatments are working and what options may be appropriate next.

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References:

8. Abrams P, Andersson KE, Birder L, et al. Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence recommendations of the International Scientific Committee: evaluation and treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence. Neurourol Urodyn. 2010;29(1):213-40.

9. Types of Urinary Incontinence. WebMD Website. http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/types-of-urinary-incontinence. Accessed June 2024.

10. Mayo Clinic. Disease and Conditions. Overactive Bladder. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715

11. Reynolds W, Fowke J, and Dmochowski R. The Burden of Overactive Bladder on US Public Health. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep. 2016 Jan 23;11(1):8–13. doi: 10.1007/s11884-016-0344-9.

12. Zhang L, Cai N, Mo L, Tian X, Liu H, Yu B. Global Prevalence of Overactive Bladder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int Urogynecol J. 2025;36: 1547–1566. doi:10.1007/S00192-024-06029-2/FIGURES/2

Disclaimer and endnotes:

Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.

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