Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common bothersome issue experienced by many individuals. OAB affects an estimated 33 million people in the United States.
Symptoms of OAB include urinary urgency, frequency, and/or urge incontinence. Half of the people with an overactive bladder are struggling with urge incontinence when leakage actually occurs.
Most people believe the symptoms of an overactive bladder are an inevitable and normal part of growing older, rather than a treatable medical problem. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
A simple survey called the Overactive Bladder Validated 8 Question Screener can help you to figure out if you are dealing with OAB. Below are 8 questions asking about how bothered you may be by some bladder symptoms. For each question, rate your response from 0 (not at all bothered) to 5 (A very great deal bothered). If you are male add 2 points automatically to your score.
How bothered have you been by…
- Frequent urination during the daytime hours?
- An uncomfortable urge to urinate?
- A sudden urge to urinate with little or no warning?
- Accidental loss of small amounts of urine?
- Nighttime urination?
- Waking up at night because you had to urinate?
- An uncontrollable urge to urinate?
- Urine loss associated with a strong desire to urinate?
If you score 8 or greater on the OAB-V8 you may have an overactive bladder. The good news is that there are effective treatments for this condition that don’t necessarily involve medication or surgery.
If you are experiencing overactive bladder symptoms, it may be time to partner with a pelvic health physical therapist to help you figure out the root cause of your OAB and get you on the right path.
