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Find possible causes of: Urinary urgency Frequent urination Urinary retention

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Overactive Bladder Health Channel

Feature Article

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Female urinary tract

Male urinary tract

Urge incontinence

Definition

Urge incontinence involves a strong, sudden need to urinate. Then the bladder contracts, leading to urine leakage.

Alternative Names

Overactive bladder; Detrusor instability; Detrusor hyperreflexia; Irritable bladder; Spasmodic bladder; Unstable bladder; Incontinence - urge

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

A person's ability to hold urine depends on normal function of the lower urinary tract, kidneys, and nervous system. The person must also have a physical and mental ability to recognize and respond to the urge to urinate.

The bladder's ability to fill and store urine requires a working sphincter muscle (which controls the flow of urine out of the body) and a stable bladder wall muscle (detrusor).

The process of urination involves two phases:

Filling and storage
Emptying

During the filling and storage phase, the bladder stretches so it can hold the increasing amount of urine. The bladder of an average person can hold 350 ml to 550 ml of urine. Generally, a person feels like they need to urinate when approximately 200 ml of urine fills up in the bladder.

The nervous system tells you that you need to urinate. It also allows the bladder to continue to fill.

The emptying phase requires the detrusor muscle to contract, forcing urine out of the bladder. The sphincter muscle must relax at the same time, so that urine can flow out of the body.

The bladder of an infant automatically contracts when a certain volume of urine is collected in the bladder. As the child grows older and learns to control urination, part of the brain (cerebral cortex) helps prevent bladder muscle contraction. This allows urination to be delayed until the person is ready to use the bathroom.

Continue reading this article

Frequent or urgent urination (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Frequent urination means needing to urinate more often than usual. Urgent urination is a sudden, compelling urge to urinate, along with discomfort in your bladder. A frequent need to urinate at night is called nocturia. Most people can sleep for 6 to 8 hours without having to urinate. Middle aged and older men often wake to urinate once in the early morning hours. Reviewer: Scott M. Gilbert, MD, Department of Urology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/22/2008
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Urination - excessive at night (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Excessive urination at night is a condition in which you wake up several times during the night to urinate. Waking up several times a night to urinate is called nocturia. Reviewer: Marc Greenstein, DO, Urologist, North Jersey Center for Urologic Care, Denville, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 06/05/2007
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Neurogenic Bladder (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction that results from interference with the normal nerve pathways associated with urination.
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Stress incontinence (5 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Stress incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine that occurs during physical activity, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise. Reviewer: Peter Chen, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynceology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed byDavid Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 04/24/2008
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Health Videos

What are the Symptoms of Overactive Bladder?
Frequent urges to urinate can be the result of overactive bladder (OAB). This is called urinary urgency. People with OAB can also find they have more than ...
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Overactive Bladder: How To Take Back Control
It's no secret that our bodies change as we age, and some adjustments are unavoidable. But urinary incontinence is one problem older people don't have to l...
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Getting Personal about Overactive Bladder
She blamed it on her aging body until she learned that you don't have to live with it. See how a little trial and error helped one woman regain control of ...
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Medications for Controlling an Overactive Bladder
Having the urge to go can be distressing, but there are several medicines that can help. Listen to experts describe how the different medicines for overact...
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The Sudden Urge to Go: Is It Overactive Bladder?
Frequent and sudden urges to urinate may be more than a nuisance. They may be symptoms of a urinary condition. Listen to experts describe a condition known...
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How effective are the drugs used to treat overactive bladder?
Drugs and lifestyle changes are both effective in treating overactive bladder (OAB). Studies show the standard class of OAB medication, anticholinergics, a...
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Beating Overactive Bladder: Personal Stories
Beating Overactive Bladder: Personal Stories
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Lifestyle Changes for an Overactive Bladder
Medicines can help people with overactive bladder. But so can a wide variety of lifestyle changes. Listen as experts describe everyday things you can do.
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