What are the Causes of Overactive Bladder?

Some of the most common causes of overactive bladder, also referred to as urinary incontinence, include certain medications, bladder stones, nerve damage and stroke. In some individuals urinary incontinence is due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Although rare, cancer can also be among the causes of overactive bladder.

An overactive bladder is characterized by the urge for frequent urination. Although a person may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom, urine flow is often very slight or nonexistent. Sometimes, individuals with urinary incontinence will also unexpectedly leak urine. Overactive bladder symptoms are the direct result of muscle contractions occurring around the bladder and triggering a feeling of the need to urinate. This urge is often sudden and can occur at any time during the day or the night and frequently causes social withdrawal, depression, sleep disorders and fatigue.

Commonly associated with aging populations and women, the causes of overactive bladder can actually affect any person at any age. One common cause, bladder stones, is created by a preceding urinary tract infection or an enlarged prostate. Stones occur when substances present in the bladder crystallize and, thus, obstruct urine flow. Though most causes of overactive bladder can strike anyone, bladder stones occur most frequently in men.

Another of the most common causes of overactive bladder is nerve damage. Typically, such damage is the direct result of unintentional trauma to the pelvic or abdominal region. This type of trauma can, however, occur as the result of surgery involving those areas. Spinal cord lesions may also contribute to the causes of overactive bladder.

One of the lesser known causes of overactive bladder is a nerve disorder known as neurogenic bladder condition. Characteristic of this condition are nerves located in the urinary system that do not send messages to the bladder’s muscles that it is time to urinate. As a result, urine sometimes remains too long inside of the bladder, which triggers an infection and may even result in damage to the kidneys. This condition is frequently caused by nerve and spinal cord damage, but it may also be caused by disease, such as diabetes, or by a brain tumor.

Illnesses, such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis may also result in urinary incontinence. Among other symptoms related to these illnesses, individuals often report the frequent urge to urinate. Individuals being treated for prostate cancer are also at risk for developing urinary incontinence as a side effect of treatment. Overactive bladder symptoms resulting from cancer treatment is curable.

Sometimes the causes of overactive bladder are traced to certain medications. This can make managing the symptoms very difficult as patients are encouraged to complete prescription medications being used to manage other conditions. Once medications are completed, however, the symptoms of urinary incontinence often disappear.