Urinary urgency can cause wetting accidents.

Urgent urination is a sudden and uncontrollable need to urinate. This sudden impulse stems from a spontaneous contraction of bladder muscles. When an individual experiences urgent urination symptoms, this does not mean that they also have urge incontinence. In fact, urgent urination is associated with several other conditions including:

• Urinary tract infection.
• Some neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease and stroke.
• Diabetes.
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate.
• Urinary frequency.
• Overactive bladder.
• Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate).
• Interstitial Cystitis or chronic pelvic pain.

Urgency can also be triggered by bladder irritants such as caffeine, carbonated beverages, tea, and sugar. Oftentimes, urgency is accompanied by urinary leakage (urge incontinence), urinary frequency, nocturia (night time frequency), and dysuria (painful urination).

Evaluation and treatment or urgent urination

When visiting a urologist, patients will be asked to provide a thorough medical history. They will also undergo a physical examination and most often a urinalysis. By obtaining a urine sample, the urologist will be able to screen for possible infection. The provider will also want to review current symptoms, discuss the number of times that urgent urination occurs, and identify any wetting accidents. The patient’s medical history will also help the provider associate urgent urination with any other existing health conditions.

With information from the patient’s evaluation, the urologist will be able to make treatment recommendations. Depending on the underlying cause, treatment options can include:

• Dietary modifications – eliminating known bladder irritants from the diet.
• Behavior modifications – smoking cessation; weight loss.
• Fluid restriction – particularly before bedtime.
• Medications – often prescribed when conservative measures fail. Medications can be effective in decreasing urgency and urge incontinence episodes.
• Medical procedures- may be indicated in cases where urgent urination is caused by a blockage such as an enlarged prostate.

If you are experiencing urgency symptoms, contact Urology Austin for a thorough evaluation.