Causes of OAB

Overactive bladder (OAB) occurs when the bladder muscle is too active. This means that the muscle contracts, or squeezes, too often or when you don’t want it to. This can cause a strong sudden urge to urinate even when the bladder isn't full.

• In most cases, an exact cause for OAB cannot be found. And OAB can affect anyone, at any age.
• Some medicines can affect bladder function. These include some pills to treat swelling or high blood pressure.
• Damage to bladder nerves or muscles can cause bladder control problems. This includes damage to the nerves of the bladder, to the nervous system (spinal cord and brain), to the pelvic muscles, or to the muscles of the bladder. These problems can cause the bladder muscle to contract, or squeeze, when you don’t want it to. Or, they may lead to poor control of the muscles that help to hold urine in.
• Your symptoms can also mean an infection or something more serious. Only your doctor can tell you for sure, so don't wait to talk about it.

In some men, frequent urination may be caused by an enlarged prostate. But men can have OAB too—even without having an enlarged prostate. In fact, just about the same number of men are affected by OAB as women. If you are a man with OAB symptoms, talk to your doctor.

 

Which bladder control condition have you been diagnosed with?

• Overactive bladder
• Stress incontinence
• Urgency incontinence
• Mixed incontinence (stress and urgency incontinence)
• Other bladder control condition
• Not diagnosed
• I don't have a bladder control condition.
• My doctor told me but I don't remember.