What is an Overactive Bladder?

When you suffer from an overactive bladder you often have to urinate small bits and you have trouble stopping the urine when insistence (urge or urge incontinence). It is a condition that occurs in both men and women. An overactive bladder can also occur in children. More than 1 million Dutch people suffer from an overactive bladder.

Cause of an overactive bladder

The urinary bladder regularly gives the signal that the bladder is full in an overactive bladder. These signalings are given while the bladder is not yet full. You also call an overactive bladder a stimulated bladder.

Causes of an overactive bladder are:

Abnormalities to the bladder, such as bladder stones, bladder infection or a thick bladder wall due to obstruction of the prostate. This increases the pressure in the urinary bladder quickly, which can cause the urge to urinate.

Problems in the pelvic floor, such as a subsidence of the bladder soil, Mandelbaum or uterus.

Abnormalities in the nerve orbit, which prevents you from feeling insistence on time.
Addictive drugs such as alcohol, caffeine, and drugs can cause your bladder to be extra stimulated. Plastic pills – resulting in highly concentrated urine or high urine production – can also provide this.

Psychological factors, such as potty training or negative sexual experiences that make the pelvic floor too often.

Symptoms of an overactive bladder

Normally, you go to the toilet for about 6 to 8 times every 24 hours. If you have to go to the toilet more often, this could indicate an overactive bladder. In addition, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Peeing at night (nycturie).
• Sudden urge to pee.
• You often pee small bits.

A big problem with an overactive bladder is the fact that you don’t always get a warning on time. You don’t have enough time between the signal that your bladder is full and the time to go to the toilet. It happens that your puddle can no longer stop or save the toilet. The result may be clear: wet pants, shame and a sense of impotence because you have lost control of your bladder.