Diagnosing Overactive Bladder

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Diagnosing Overactive Bladder
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

To help in diagnose overactive bladder, your doctor will first ask about your symptoms, and medical history. Your doctor will also physically examine you for signs of medical conditions that can cause overactive bladder. As part of diagnosing overactive bladder, you doctor may also ask do some tests, and ask you to keep a bladder diary.

How Is Overactive Bladder Diagnosed? -- An Introduction
The first step toward relief is to see a doctor, who is well acquainted with overactive bladder, to learn what type you have.

A urologist specializes in the urinary tract, and some urologists further specialize in the female urinary tract. Gynecologists and obstetricians specialize in the female reproductive tract, and childbirth. A urogynecologist focuses on urological problems in women. Family practitioners, and internists, see patients for all kinds of complaints. Any of these doctors may be able to help you.

Medical History
To help in diagnosing overactive bladder, your doctor will first ask about your symptoms, and medical history. Your pattern of voiding and urine leakage may suggest the type of incontinence. Other obvious factors that can help define the problem include:

* Straining and discomfort during urination
* Use of drugs
* Recent surgery
* Illness.

If your medical history does not define the problem, it will at least suggest which tests are needed.

Physical Exam
Your doctor will physically examine you for signs of medical conditions that can cause overactive bladder, such as tumors that block the urinary tract, stool impaction, and poor reflexes or sensations, which may be evidence of a nerve-related cause.

Tests Used in Diagnosing Overactive Bladder
Your doctor will measure your bladder capacity, and residual urine, for evidence of poorly functioning bladder muscles. To do this, you will drink plenty of fluids, and urinate into a measuring pan, after which the doctor will measure any urine remaining in the bladder. Your doctor may also recommend any of the following tests:

* Stress test. During a stress test, you relax, then cough vigorously as the doctor watches for loss of urine.

* Urinalysis. A urinalysis is when urine is tested for evidence of infection, urinary stones, or other contributing causes.

* Blood tests. When you get a blood test, blood is taken, sent to a laboratory, and examined for substances related to causes of incontinence.

* Ultrasound. During an ultrasound, sound waves are used to view the kidneys, ureters (ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder, and urethra.

* Cystoscopy. A cystoscopy is when a thin tube, with a tiny camera, is inserted in the urethra, and used to see the inside of the urethra and bladder.

* Urodynamic testing. Urodynamic testing includes various techniques that measure pressure in the bladder, and the flow of urine.

Diagnosing Overactive Bladder: Bladder Diary
Your doctor may ask you to keep a diary for a day or more, up to a week, to record when you void. This diary should note the times you urinate, and the amounts of urine you produce. To measure your urine, you can use a special pan that fits over the toilet rim.

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