"Oh no, oh no, oh no. I should have gone to the bathroom at the grocery store. Damn it, where are my keys? Oh no. Here it goes."
Urine pours down Mary's legs. Mary was disgusted to realize that her pants were soaked, and that she would have to change her clothes for the second time that day. Digging around in her purse she finally found her house keys.
Mary said to herself as she let herself into her house, "Okay, I've had it. I've got to call that doctor Margie saw. What was her name?"
Mary made a mental note to call Margie as she stripped off her wet pants and panties.
Mary, age 63, has been suffering from urge urinary incontinence for about three years. She's finally made the decision to get some help with it.
Urge Urinary Incontinence
also called Overactive Bladder (OAB)
Are You Like Mary?
What is Urge Urinary Incontinence or Overactive Bladder?
Most of us have experienced urge urinary incontinence (UUI), also called Overactive Bladder (OAB), in our lifetime whether we are ordinarily incontinent or not. This happens when you really have to urinate but you can’t make it to the bathroom right away. The result? Oops—leakage. For those who don’t suffer from UUI regularly, this can happen in unusual circumstances—a long line in front of the bathroom in a bar when you’ve had a little too much to drink or just waiting too long before you urinate because you’re juggling too many things.
But if you suffer from UUI, then you know from firsthand experience the situation is much more frequent and much worse. The urge to urinate comes on suddenly followed by a strong bladder contraction resulting in leakage. You might feel the sudden urge to urinate when you hear water running in the kitchen sink (possibly prompting you to ask your hubby about installing a toilet next to the dishwasher) or when you are trying to unlock the door with your arms full of grocery bags. Many women also leak when going from a sitting to a standing position, or when they wake up at night to go to the bathroom.
But if you suffer from UUI, then you know from firsthand experience the situation is much more frequent and much worse. The urge to urinate comes on suddenly followed by a strong bladder contraction resulting in leakage. You might feel the sudden urge to urinate when you hear water running in the kitchen sink (possibly prompting you to ask your hubby about installing a toilet next to the dishwasher) or when you are trying to unlock the door with your arms full of grocery bags. Many women also leak when going from a sitting to a standing position, or when they wake up at night to go to the bathroom.
You Know You Have UUI or OAB If:
You experience any of these symptoms:
- Frequency: an urge to urinate more than eight times a day with the urge to urinate occurring soon after the bladder has just been emptied or after drinking small amounts of water.
- Urgency: a sudden and strong urge to urinate with little or no chance to postpone urination. this often occurs when you touch water or hear water running.
- Incontinence (wetting accidents): an involuntary loss of urine.
- Nocturia: awakening to urinate two or more times a night.