Overactive bladder (OAB) is defined as a chronic urological condition that causes urgency, with or without urge incontinence, as well as frequency and nocturia. The cause of this condition is unknown, but researchers believe that it involves dysfunction of the detrusor muscle of the bladder. 

Recent surveys have found that about one in six American or European adults suffers from symptoms caused by OAB. OAB occurs in both men and women and the frequency of symptoms increases with age.

 
 OAB symptoms include frequent urination and urge incontinence. There are a checklist of symptoms that should be discussed with the patient's physician. This checklist may help in determining the best treatment option. Here are some of the questions that will likely be included in the checklist:

Do you frequently experience the following?

- Get up to urinate two or more times in a single night
- Urinate more than eight times in a 24 hour period
- Feel an overwhelming and uncontrollable urge to urinate
- Experience urinary incontinence, control problems, leaking

The symptoms of OAB do not appear suddenly and all at once. This affliction comes on gradually so you may find yourself adjusting your lifestyle little by little. The anxiety of OAB my be limiting your lifestyle and you might be unwittingly accepting the limitations imposed on your day to day ability to do the things you would like to be doing.  The patient with OAB symptoms may begin planning their trips or excursions around the availability of bathrooms.  Patients may also begin to use adult diapers or use mattress protection liners.  Medications which are used to decrease OAB symptoms include the antimuscarinic drugs such as darifenacin, hyoscyamine, oxybutnin, tolterodine, solifenacin, and trospium.

The patient with OAB symptoms can learn to adapt and lead a healthy and active lifestyle.  Your physician can suggest certain lifestyle modifications, such as limiting the amount of fluid intake, particularly at nighttime, along with appropriate medications if needed to help the patient improve the quality of their life.