Do you Have Overactive Bladder?  What are the Symptoms of OAB?

by Alex Shteynshlyuger MD


If you have any questions, to schedule a consultation or if you need a second opinion, please contact us or call: 646-663-4151

Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger is a board-certified urologist in NYC who specializes in treating men and women with urinary problems including frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder, urinary urgency and incontinence.


Common Symptoms of Overactive Bladder

OAB SymptomsOveractive bladder (OAB) is a common condition, which often interferes with the enjoyment of life.  Because the symptoms may be embarrassing, men and women often endure without asking for help. Yet effective treatment options for symptoms of overactive bladder are available that both successful and safe.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition that affects millions of people in the US and worldwide.  Studies show that women and men who suffer from OAB have significantly decreased the quality of life due to urinary problems that interfere with their enjoyment of life. Often urinary symptoms also prevent people from leading normal lifestyle: many men and women plan their lives around bathroom availability and avoid traveling or engaging in social activities that do not offer ready access to a bathroom.

These are the symptoms of an overactive bladder:

  • Urgency – “I need to go NOW” and can’t wait.
  • Frequency – frequent need to urinate
  • Nocturia – getting up to go to the toilet at night
  • Urge Urinary Incontinence – leakage of urine when you cannot make it in time to the toilet.

People with an overactive bladder (OAB) feel an urgent desire to pass urine frequently, and it may be hard to control. Going to pee often, getting up at night, and sometimes being unable to hold it back, even though the bladder is not full are common symptoms of OAB. Unlike with urinary tract infection, with overactive bladder, there is often no pain, no burning and no bleeding associated with OAB.  Some people can have lower abdominal pain and discomfort as well as urethral discomfort from OAB.  Symptoms of overactive bladder are not a normal part of aging, although they are not uncommon.

People with overactive bladder will often map out the toilets when traveling, know where the public toilets are in town, check the toilets out in a strange building and dehydrate themselves when traveling. They may have discovered that coffee, tea, alcohol or spicy foods can make the symptoms worse. In addition, the disturbed sleep can impact on their daily lives.

If you have any questions, to schedule a consultation or if you need a second opinion, please contact us or call: 646-663-4151