Signs of an Overactive Bladder in the Elderly

Having an overactive bladder may cause you to obsess on where the nearest restroom is and whether you will make it there in time. Overactive bladder becomes more common with age, especially in women, but is a treatable condition. According to the Mayo Clinic and the National Library of Medicine, signs of an overactive bladder in the elderly include urinary urgency and incontinence.

Urges

• Sudden or frequent urges to urinate are the most common sign that you have an overactive bladder.

Time Frame

• You may have an overactive bladder if you have to urinate more than eight times in a 24-hour period.

Disrupted Sleep

• If your need to urinate disrupts your sleep at least twice a night, especially if you already have age-related sleep problems, you may have overactive bladder.

Social Disruption

• Depression and social withdrawal may be signs of an overactive bladder in the elderly, especially in people who were previously socially active.

Incomplete Elimination

• Being unable to completely eliminate urine from your bladder is a sign of overactive bladder in the elderly and may be related to bladder or urinary infections.

Incontinence

• Incontinence that may occur when you cough, sneeze or laugh is a sign of overactive bladder that becomes more common with age.