Overactive bladder (OAB) is a combination of many symptoms. Frequency, nocturia (need to get up and urinate many times at night) and sudden urge to urinate are the main symptoms and some people will have leakage (urge incontinence) of urine when they feel this urge.

There are no specific physical signs and the diagnosis is made from the symptoms and confirmed with urodynamic studies that show involuntary contraction of the bladder during filling.
Depending on the presentation, ultrasound of the renal tract and cystoscopy may be required.

Overactive bladder therapy can be challenging to manageand the treatment can range from changing certain behaviours to medications to nerve stimulation (neuromodulation)