Overactive Bladder (OAB)
A condition in which the patient experiences at least two of the following conditions: urinary urgency; urge urinary incontinence; urinary frequency (defined for this condition as urination eight or more times a day or more than twice at night).
About Overactive Bladder
Women and men with an overactive bladder (irritable bladder) have an increased urge to urinate that is extremely difficult to control.
Needing to go more often can have a major impact on everyday activities. The urge to urinate can become so strong that they do not make it to the toilet and wet themselves (incontinence). People with irritable bladder also need to get up at night more frequently (nocturia), making it virtually impossible to sleep through the night.
Overactive bladder is more common in women than in men. One of the main causes is thought to be that the bladder muscles contract too often, but it is not known why this happens.
Health problems like urinary tract infection or neurological disorders may cause similar symptoms. Some medications can also cause an increased urge to urinate. For these reasons, overactive bladder is only diagnosed after these other possible causes have been ruled out. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Heath Care