Overactive Bladder (OAB)

What is Overactive Bladder (OAB)?

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition characterized by urinary urgency — a frequent and uncontrollable need to urinate. You may often feel a sudden urge to rush to the bathroom, even when your bladder is not full.

This need can occur at any time of the day and may be accompanied by urinary incontinence, meaning involuntary leakage of urine before reaching the toilet. OAB can also cause the need to urinate at night (nocturia), disrupting sleep and affecting quality of life.

OAB is generally associated with one or more of the following symptoms:

• Urgency: when the need to urinate is sudden and uncontrollable
• Frequency: when urination occurs more than 8 times per day
• Nocturia: when the need to urinate occurs at least twice during the night
• Urge incontinence: when urgency leads to involuntary urine leakage

Causes of Overactive Bladder: Why Do I Often Have Urinary Urgency?

The causes of this constant need to go to the bathroom are varied:

• Dysfunction of the bladder muscles, which contract without an apparent reason.
• Neurological disorders that affect the nerves controlling the bladder.
• Aging, which reduces the bladder's capacity to hold urine.
• Excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, or bladder-irritating foods.
• Issues related to obesity, which increase pressure on the bladder and contribute to urinary incontinence and leaks.

Symptoms of Overactive Bladder: Recognizing Urinary Urgency

Here are some common signs of overactive bladder:

• Urinary urgency that makes you feel the need to go to the bathroom immediately.
• Frequent urination, sometimes more than 8 times a day.
• Episodes of incontinence (involuntary urine leakage).
• Need to urinate at night, causing you to wake up multiple times during sleep.

Why is Flowtens Effective for Urinary Incontinence?

Flowtens is a non-invasive solution for treating urinary urgency and incontinence caused by OAB. The Flowtens device stimulates the tibial nerve, which is connected to the bladder’s neural circuits. This stimulation helps control bladder contractions, reducing frequent urination, nighttime urination, and urinary leaks.