Have you ever laughed so hard you worried you would pee yourself? Who hasn’t? Young or old this simply happens sometimes. However, if this happens to you a lot, you may have what is called stress incontinence. Stress incontinence and overactive bladder are the two main causes of urinary incontinence and according to WebMD, urinary incontinence affects overall 12 million Americans.
Overactive Bladder (OAB) is caused by urinary muscle spasms that cause an urgency to urinate. It can also be caused by multiple pregnancies, being overweight, and genetic weaknesses. The key symptoms of overactive bladder are:
- Urinary frequency — having to go to the bathroom more than eight times in 24 hours
- Nocturia — waking up to urinate two or more times at night
- Urgency — a strong and sudden desire to urinate
- Accidental loss of urine — associated with a simultaneous sudden and controllable urge to urinate
If you find yourself getting up more than twice a night to urinate or if you must urinate more than 8 times in a 24 hour period, please visit your doctor.