Do you urinate eight or more times a day or two or more times a night? Does an irresistible urge to urinate ever make you wet yourself? These are possible signs of urge incontinence, or overactive bladder.

If you have this problem, you probably have many questions about it, but you may be embarrassed to ask. Here are answers to common questions and tips on how to avoid accidents in the future.

What is urge incontinence?
An overactive bladder, like other types of urinary incontinence, is a common problem affecting women. Urge incontinence sometimes signals another medical problem, such as an infection in your bladder or kidneys. Or it may stem from nerve damage during childbirth. For some women, drinking alcohol or taking certain medicines triggers an overactive bladder.

Are there other types of incontinence?
Some women suffer from mixed incontinence, in which an overactive bladder aggravates a common condition called stress incontinence. Women with stress incontinence leak urine when they cough, sneeze, or laugh.

If your doctor determines that you have an overactive bladder, she may ask you to keep a diary for a few days, noting the medicines you take, when you go to the bathroom, and when you have accidents.

What can I do about overactive bladder?
Incontinence, whether it’s urge incontinence, stress incontinence, or a combination, isn’t normal— and, fortunately, it can be treated.

Treatments and self-care tips proven effective for an overactive bladder include the following:

• Perform Kegels. These simple exercises, which you can do anywhere, strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that hold in the urine. Strong pelvic floor muscles can interrupt an overactive bladder and prevent an accident.
• Train your bladder. By following a programmed timetable to urinate, you gradually increase the intervals between trips to the toilet by 15 to 30 minutes each week, until you’re up to a normal time interval.
• Watch what you eat. Limit or avoid foods and drinks that may prompt an urge to urinate. These include alcohol and foods and beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate. Other possible offenders include artificial sweeteners, tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices, and spicy foods.
• Skip the bedside water glass. Cut down on fluid intake close to bedtime.
• Mind your meds. Take a closer look at any prescription drugs you take. If necessary, work with your doctor to find substitutes for drugs that might make the condition worse, including diuretics, sedatives, narcotics, antidepressants, and antihistamines.

If self-care steps can’t curb an overactive bladder, your doctor might prescribe a medicine or recommend surgery.

Can Medicine Help?
Your doctor will decide if a prescription medication could help treat your condition. You can use our online Drug Reference Library to learn about medication options, including potential drug interactions and side effects. Go to www.paramount.staywellsolutionsonline.com, click on “Library” and “Drug Reference,” then do a keyword search for “incontinence.”