Why does someone develop overactive bladder (OAB)?
Overactive Bladder is extremely common and causes symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, and sometime leakage on the way to the bathroom. Only 10% of people with OAB have known neurologic disease and in the other 90%, we don’t know what causes it. It is more common than diabetes, is more frequent in women than men, and the incidence increases as we get older. It is NOT caused by holding your urine for long periods of time. The good news is that there are many behavioral and pharmacologic therapies that are quite effective in decreasing leakage and frequency. Restricting fluids and bladder irritants such as caffeine, artifical sweeteners and alcohol can help. Timed voiding to train the bladder to hold more and pelvic floor exercises that quiet bladder contractions may be effective. In addition, there are six medications specifically developed for overactive bladder symptoms. BoTox injections into the bladder or the Sacral Nerve Stimulator are also very effective for refractory patients
