Overactive bladder
Health topics Bladder health Overactive bladder An overactive bladder is a health condition where you have an urgent need to wee and may need to go to the toilet more than usual. Print / PDF What is an overactive bladder? Symptoms of an overactive bladder What causes an overactive bladder? Who is at risk? How to get a diagnosis Treatment and management of an overactive bladder Reviewed For the most update information on this topic, please visit jeanhailes.org.au Key takeaways If you need to wee often or urgently, or have wee leakage, you might have an overactive bladder. Your doctor can help find the cause and recommend treatment options. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you bladder training to help with your symptoms. Sections on this page What is an overactive bladder? Symptoms of an overactive bladder What causes an overactive bladder? Who is at risk? How to get a diagnosis Treatment and management of an overactive bladder Print / PDF Key takeaways If you need to wee often or urgently, or have wee leakage, you might have an overactive bladder. Your doctor can help find the cause and recommend treatment options. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you bladder training to help with your symptoms. What is an overactive bladder? When your bladder is full, it squeezes (contracts) so you can wee. With normal bladder function, you can usually hold on until you get to the toilet. With an overactive bladder, you need to wee before your bladder is full. Symptoms of an overactive bladder If you have an overactive bladder, you may: need to wee often or urgently, or both find it hard to hold on until you get to the toilet leak wee before you get to the toilet wee more than 7 times each day wake up more than once in the night to wee leak wee while asleep. What causes an overactive bladder? An overactive bladder may be caused by: neurological disorders (e.g. stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spina bifida, dementia) diabetes that’s not well managed the bladder not emptying fully bladder outlet blockages (e.g. due to prolapse or surgery) past pelvic cancer treatment. Who is at risk? You can’t change some risk factors for developing an overactive bladder, such as hormonal changes at menopause. But some lifestyle changes can help, for example: avoid caffeinated, fizzy or alcoholic drinks don’t smoke drink less than 3 litres of fluid per day look after your bowel health. How to get a diagnosis Your doctor can diagnose an overactive bladder by reviewing your medical history and symptoms. They’ll also take a urine sample to rule out urinary infections. They may do an examination to learn more. If you are referred to a specialist, you may need to do: bladder function tests pelvic or kidney ultrasounds, or both tests to check for neurological disorders. Treatment and management of an overactive bladder A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you to manage an overactive bladder. You will learn helpful techniques like: how to empty your bladder fully reduce the urgent need to wee. Review process Our review process This information has been reviewed by clinical experts and is based on the latest evidence. Our content review process ensures our health information is accurate, trustworthy, current and useful. We regularly check our information to make sure it reflects the latest clinical guidelines and key findings from large, reliable studies. Where possible, we focus on Australian research to make our information more relevant locally. Experts play a key role in reviewing our content. Clinicians at Jean Hailes check information for accuracy and real‑world relevance. These include GPs, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists and allied health professionals. We also work with partner organisations, independent specialists and people with lived experience to make sure our content reflects both expert knowledge and the experiences of the community. Want to learn more about pelvic floor exercises? Join pelvic floor physiotherapist Janetta Webb on our podcast for simple exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor. Listen to the podcast

Overactive bladder

An overactive bladder is a health condition where you have an urgent need to wee and may need to go to the toilet more than usual.

Print / PDF

Reviewed

Key takeaways

If you need to wee often or urgently, or have wee leakage, you might have an overactive bladder.
Your doctor can help find the cause and recommend treatment options.
A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you bladder training to help with your symptoms.

Key takeaways

If you need to wee often or urgently, or have wee leakage, you might have an overactive bladder.
Your doctor can help find the cause and recommend treatment options.
A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you bladder training to help with your symptoms.

What is an overactive bladder?

When your bladder is full, it squeezes (contracts) so you can wee. With normal bladder function, you can usually hold on until you get to the toilet.

With an overactive bladder, you need to wee before your bladder is full.

Symptoms of an overactive bladder

If you have an overactive bladder, you may:

need to wee often or urgently, or both
find it hard to hold on until you get to the toilet
leak wee before you get to the toilet
wee more than 7 times each day
wake up more than once in the night to wee
leak wee while asleep.

What causes an overactive bladder?

An overactive bladder may be caused by:

neurological disorders (e.g. stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spina bifida, dementia)
diabetes that’s not well managed
the bladder not emptying fully
bladder outlet blockages (e.g. due to prolapse or surgery)
past pelvic cancer treatment.

Who is at risk?

You can’t change some risk factors for developing an overactive bladder, such as hormonal changes at menopause. But some lifestyle changes can help, for example:

avoid caffeinated, fizzy or alcoholic drinks
don’t smoke
drink less than 3 litres of fluid per day
look after your bowel health.

How to get a diagnosis

Your doctor can diagnose an overactive bladder by reviewing your medical history and symptoms. They’ll also take a urine sample to rule out urinary infections. They may do an examination to learn more.

If you are referred to a specialist, you may need to do:

bladder function tests
pelvic or kidney ultrasounds, or both
tests to check for neurological disorders.

Treatment and management of an overactive bladder

A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you to manage an overactive bladder. You will learn helpful techniques like:

how to empty your bladder fully
reduce the urgent need to wee.

Want to learn more about pelvic floor exercises?

Join pelvic floor physiotherapist Janetta Webb on our podcast for simple exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor.

Listen to the podcast

Overactive bladder

Key takeaways

Sections on this page

Key takeaways

What is an overactive bladder?

Symptoms of an overactive bladder

What causes an overactive bladder?

Who is at risk?

How to get a diagnosis

Treatment and management of an overactive bladder

Bladder training

What you can do

Our review process

Want to learn more about pelvic floor exercises?