Overactive Bladder Glossary
Here are definitions of some common terms associated with bladder symptoms.
Bladder
The balloon-shaped organ inside the body that holds urine
Bladder tracker
A record of your daily bathroom routine
Bladder training
A method of going to the bathroom on a regular schedule and emptying the bladder completely
Continence
The ability to control the timing of urination or a bowel movement
Contract
To shrink, tighten, or become smaller
Frequency
The need to go to the bathroom more than eight times in a 24-hour period
Incontinence
The loss of bladder control that results in leakage
Kegel exercises
Exercises to tighten and relax the bladder muscle and hold the bladder in its proper position
Overactive bladder (OAB)
A condition caused by sudden contractions of the bladder muscle that can cause the need to go to the bathroom immediately, frequently, and can also lead to leakage
Stress incontinence
Leakage due to weak pelvic muscles that happens while coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, jumping, or other physical activity
Urgency
A sudden sense of needing to go to the bathroom right away
Urinary tract (or urinary system)
The system in the body that removes waste from the blood and carries it out of the body through urine
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
An illness caused by foreign bacteria, viruses, or yeast that grows in the urinary tract
Urine
The liquid that contains extra water and waste that passes from the body
Urologist
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the male and female urinary system and the male reproductive system
