Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Overactive bladder isn’t a disease; it is the name of a group of urinary symptoms involving problems with bladder-storage function. The most common symptom of OAB is a sudden urge to urinate that you can’t control. Some people will leak urine when they feel the urge. Leaking urine is called “incontinence.” Having to go to the bathroom many times during the day and night is another symptom of OAB.

Urinary incontinence — the loss of bladder control — is a common and often embarrassing problem. The severity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that’s so sudden and strong you don’t get to a toilet in time. Although it occurs more often as people get older, urinary incontinence isn’t an inevitable consequence of aging. For most people, simple lifestyle changes or medical treatment can ease discomfort or stop urinary incontinence.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria gets into your urine and travels up to your bladder. UTIs cause more than 8.1 million visits to health care providers each year. UTIs can be found by analyzing a urine sample under a microscope for bacteria or white blood cells, which are signs of infection. A UTI is usually easily treated with a course of a medicine called an antibiotic.