In the US alone at least 17 million people suffer from an overactive bladder, a common bladder control problem. Though greatly misunderstood and rarely discussed, an overactive bladder significantly reduces its victims' quality of life. Working lives are disrupted, social activities are curtailed, self-esteem threatened and sexual intimacy inhibited. For sufferers the need to urinate can occur soon after the bladder has been emptied.
People experience an immediate and strong urge to urinate, needing to immediately find a bathroom.
If the urgency cannot be suppressed, or if the person cannot find a bathroom in time, leaking or loss of urine will occur, often emptying the bladder totally. Urge incontinence affects about one-third of those who also suffer from urgency and frequency. There are many myths about bladder control problems. The truth is that an overactive bladder is almost equally prevalent in men and women, although urge incontinence is generally more common in women. It is not part of getting older although it is more commonly diagnosed in elderly people.