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Summary

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

• Overactive Bladder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Daily Bladder Diary (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF
• Urinary Tract Imaging (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Urodynamic Testing (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Urinary Incontinence: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

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

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Association between exposure to blood heavy metal mixtures and overactive bladder...
• Article: Triglyceride-glucose index and overactive bladder syndrome: evidence from the NHANES 2005-2018.
• Article: The association between the systemic inflammation response index and overactive bladder:...
• Overactive Bladder -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Urinary Tract and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Men

• Kegel Exercises for Men: Understand the Benefits (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Women

• Kegel Exercises (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Frequent or urgent urination (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Urge incontinence (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish