Quality of Life

Do you believe your overactive bladder control problem isn't a major problem in your life? After all it is not a life-threatening condition, and you may be used to the way you have adapted your life around the symptoms. However, you should know that bladder control problems can be easily treated and are not normal at any age.

Here are just some of the ways an overactive bladder can interrupt and limit everyday life:

• Disturbed sleep and loss of daytime productivity due to waking up to go to the bathroom 2 or more times during the night.

• Withdrawal from sexual intimacy to avoid the anxiety and embarrassment caused by urine leakage during lovemaking.

• Lower-quality work due to frequent trips to the bathroom, the need to repeatedly leave meetings, and inability to concentrate.

• Lack of exercise caused by fear of being too far away from a bathroom.

• Habitual creation of "maps" of toilet locations, planning activities such as travelling and shopping based on knowing where toilets can be easily reached.

• Declining social invitations from friends and family because of the embarrassment of having to visit the bathroom regularly or the fear of having a wetting accident.

• Sitting in the aisles in public transportation, places of worship, the theatre, or at movies to be able to leave quickly to find a bathroom.

• Carrying a spare set of clothing in case of a wetting accident.

• Wearing dark and baggy clothing to disguise disposable pads or the signs of a wetting accident.

• Carrying a bottle in the car in case of the need to urinate while travelling long distances between petrol stations.

You may be able to think of more ways that your bladder control problem has changed your behaviour and maybe even affected the way you view yourself. The Facts and Figures section uncovers further evidence of the number of people with similar problems and how their lives are similarly affected.