Overactive bladder is a medical condition, caused by involuntary contractions in your bladder, in which the bladder muscles act inappropriately. In some instances when this occurs, a woman has the sensation that her bladder is full when it is not, and she gets the urge to urinate before the bladder is truly full.

Overactive bladder is not normal or natural at any age, and it can be treated.

Who Gets It?

Overactive bladder affects one in five women over the age of 45. According to the American Urological Association. (AUA), more than 33 million Americans (men and women) have the condition.

What Causes It?

Unfortunately, there usually isn't a definitive answer to this question. Bladder control problems may occur when any part of the urinary system fails to function properly.

What Are The Symptoms?

The symptoms of an overactive bladder are:

• Urgency: A powerful need to urinate immediately.
• Urge incontinence: An urgent need to urinate followed by a sudden loss of urine (wetting incidents). Some people may lose bladder control just before they get to a toilet. Others may experience urges that are so strong they may only have a brief warning before losing bladder control . Women are more likely to experience urge incontinence than men because their internal organ structure is different.
• Frequency: The need to urinate at least 8 times in a 24-hour period, including 2 or more times at night.

One condition that might be confused with an overactive bladder is a urinary tract infection. People who have this common condition might feel the need to urinate frequently and might experience a burning sensation during urination. Urinary tract infections can become serious and should be evaluated and treated promptly by a healthcare professional.

How Is It Diagnosed?

During your visit, your healthcare professional may ask for the following information or perform one or more of the following tests:

• Complete health history: family history, past illnesses, hospitalizations.
• Physical examination
• Your medications: Complete list of any prescription or over-the-counter medications you currently take.
• Urinalysis: A urine sample may be taken and analyzed to check for bladder infection, urinary tract infection, and other conditions that may cause bladder control problems.

In some cases, the healthcare professional or a specialist may also conduct the following tests to clarify a diagnosis:

• X-ray of the bladder and urethra to show position changes during normal urinating, coughing, or straining.
• Post-void residual tests, which measure the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination.
• A urodynamic study, which checks how well urine flows from the bladder and whether the sphincter is working properly.
• A cystoscopy, a test that allows your doctor to see inside the bladder via a thin telescope-like instrument, called a cystoscope.
• A stress test, in order to observe how much urine is lost during activity that puts pressure on the bladder.

If you are unable to control your bladder, see your doctor. Only a healthcare professional can diagnose your bladder control problem and determine the right treatment.

How Is It Treated?

Most likely, your doctor will prescribe a medication that helps relieve the symptoms of overactive bladder by relaxing those "overactive" bladder muscles. Once diagnosed, approximately 80% of urinary incontinence cases are successfully managed.

For information about one treatment option your physician or healthcare professional may recommend, click here.