Living with overactive bladder -- also called OAB -- can be a challenge, with the urge to urinate occurring often and suddenly. It can be doubly frustrating when you don’t know what causes overactive bladder. Yet you’re not alone; as many as one in six adults over age 40 may have symptoms of OAB.
When and Why Overactive Bladder Occurs
Overactive bladder occurs when the muscles of the bladder involuntarily contract more frequently and at inappropriate times.
Your mind reads those contractions as an urgent need to urinate. If you have "dry" OAB, you’ll make it to the bathroom on time but not without worry and anxiety. If you have the "wet" form of overactive bladder, you may not always make it without leaking urine (urge incontinence).
Causes of Overactive Bladder
The symptoms of overactive bladder have many causes, including:
- Side effects from medications, especially diuretics (water pills) and drugs with caffeine
- Neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease
- Urinary tract infection or other causes of bladder irritation
- Tumors or other abnormalities in the bladder such as bladder cancer
- Inflammation of the prostate or prostate cancer in men
- Nerve damage caused by surgery, injury, or disease (such as diabetes)
- Pregnancy or recent delivery
In many cases, the cause is not known.
The Link Between Overactive Bladder and Other Health Problems
You may be more likely to have other health issues if you also have overactive bladder. These include risk for falls with fractures in the elderly and urinary tract and skin infections.
If OAB causes you to wake up from sleep two or more times a night, it is referred to as nocturia. Besides poor sleep, nocturia has been linked to fatigue,poor energy, impaired ability to perform day-to-day activities, and reduced quality of life.
Depression has also been linked to OAB, especially among those with urge incontinence without known cause.
It is important to talk to your health care provider about all symptoms you may be having even if you think they seem unrelated to your condition.
