Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder causes you to feel the sudden urge to urinate. Sometimes, the urge is so great it causes involuntary urination. The sudden, frequent urge to urinate can disrupt your life.

Understanding the cause of your overactive bladder is the first step in treating the condition to reduce or eliminate your symptoms.

Overactive Bladder Symptoms

• Feel a sudden urge to urinate
• Involuntary loss of urine immediately following the urge
• Urinate eight or more times a day
• Urinate two or more times a night

Treatments for Overactive Bladder

Many behavioral treatments may reduce involuntary urination. These practices include:

• Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and urinary sphincter
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Regulating the amount and time you consume fluids  
• Double voiding, which means urinating twice in a span of a few minutes to completely empty your bladder
• Scheduling trips to the bathroom at the same times every day
• Wearing absorbent pads
• Bladder training, which entails delaying urination even when you feel an urge. Starting at 30 minutes intervals, you can train your bladder to hold it for longer intervals.

If behavior modifications aren’t enough, there are medications, nerve stimulations, and surgery options available.