Overactive Bladder: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

NEW TOPIC PAGE ►
Overactive Bladder: MedlinePlus

 

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Overactive Bladder

Email this page to a friendShare on facebookShare on twitterBookmark & SharePrinter-friendly versionSubscribe to RSS

 

 

Overactive bladder is a condition in which the bladder squeezes urine out at the wrong time. You may have overactive bladder if you have two or more of these symptoms:

• You urinate eight or more times a day or two or more times at night
• You have the sudden, strong need to urinate immediately
• You leak urine after a sudden, strong urge to urinate

You also may have incontinence, a loss of bladder control. Nerve problems, too much fluid, or too much caffeine can cause it. Often the cause is unknown.
Your doctor may prescribe a medicine that can calm muscles and nerves. The medicine may come as a pill, a liquid, or a patch. The medicines can cause your eyes to become dry. They can also cause dry mouth and constipation. To deal with these effects, use eye drops to keep your eyes moist, chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy if dry mouth bothers you, and take small sips of water throughout the day.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

 

 

 

• Start Here

  • Bladder Control: What Men Need to Know(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Overactive Bladder(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • What I Need to Know about Bladder Control for Women(National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Frequent or urgent urination
• Urge incontinence

Related Topics

• Bladder Diseases
• Urinary Incontinence
• Kidneys and Urinary System

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Overactive Bladder is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

 

• Overviews

  • Overactive Bladder(Urology Care Foundation)
  • Urgency Urinary Incontinence/Overactive Bladder(National Association for Continence)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Cystoscopy - Men(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Cystoscopy - Women(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Daily Bladder Diary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Imaging of the Urinary Tract(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Urodynamic Testing(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

• Treatment

  • Evaluating Prescription Drugs Used to Treat Overactive Bladder(Consumers Union of U.S.) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Overactive Bladder Treatment(National Association for Continence)

• Related Issues

  • MedlinePlus: Urinary Incontinence(National Library of Medicine)
  • Return to top

• Health Check Tools

  • Bladder Control Diagnostic Tool(National Association for Continence)
  • Return to top

• Tutorials

  • Cystoscopy - Men(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Cystoscopy - Women(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Anatomy/Physiology

  • Your Urinary System and How It Works(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Urinary Bladder, Overactive(National Institutes of Health)
  • Return to top

• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Adding to the evidence base: application drying time for oxybutynin...
  • Article: Application drying time for oxybutynin chloride topical gel.
  • Article: Mirabegron (Myrbetriq) for overactive bladder.
  • Overactive Bladder -- see more articles
  • Return to top

• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Urologic Diseases Dictionary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Directories

  • Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations(National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse) - PDF
  • Find a Urogynecologist(American Urogynecologic Society)
  • Find a Urologist(Urology Care Foundation)
  • Return to top

• Organizations

  • American Urological Association
  • National Association for Continence
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  • National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Return to top

• Statistics

  • Urge Incontinence/Overactive Bladder (OAB)(National Association for Continence)
  • Return to top

• Men

  • Kegel Exercises for Men: Understand the Benefits(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Return to top

• Women

  • Kegel Exercise Tips(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Patient Handouts

  • Frequent or urgent urination
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Urge incontinence
  • Also available in Spanish