While anxiety can cause you to have an overactive bladder, it also goes the other way around. This can create a feedback loop that increases symptoms of both conditions.
Anxiety can cause overactive bladder (OAB) and more frequent symptoms of the condition. OAB can also cause anxiety. Because of this, they’re considered bidirectional or affect each other.
A doctor or healthcare professional can help you determine if you have anxiety and OAB and create an appropriate treatment plan. Managing both conditions can include lifestyle changes, medications, and other methods.
Yes. Several studies show the connection between anxiety and OAB and how there are multiple ways they interact. Anxiety not only causes OAB symptoms, but it can also lead to worse symptoms. On the flip side, OAB can cause anxiety.
Let’s take a look at what the research says:
- One study found that in women with OAB, their same-day urgency scores were associated with feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. This means that the people in the study needed to urinate more often on days when they noted experiencing these emotions.
- Another study found that in a group of 105 participants referred to a urogynecology clinic, 26.2% of those with a diagnosis of OAB had anxiety. This was a much larger percentage than those with a diagnosis of other lower urinary tract conditions. In that group, only 7.7% of participants had anxiety.
- An
additional study found that women with OAB with anxiety experienced more stress related to the condition than those without it. The study stated that more research is necessary to understand how and why this occurs. A 2021 study reported that anxiety could cause OAB because of the increased inflammatory response in your body when you experience stress. This can thicken your bladder muscles and increase the sensitivity of nerves in your bladder. This results in the symptoms of OAB.
Language matters
You’ll notice that the language used to share stats and other data points is pretty binary.
The studies and surveys referenced in this article didn’t report data on, or include, participants who were transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, agender, or genderless.
But it has been well documented that transgender and intersex individuals typically experience higher levels of anxiety than their cisgender counterparts. This may also lead to a higher occurrence of OAB.
Anxiety can cause OAB, and OAB can make the symptoms of anxiety worse, so they’ll be treated together.
The first step is to make an appointment with a doctor to diagnose both conditions. They’ll ask you about your symptoms and may even conduct a physical exam or lab or imaging tests. There are questionnaires and scales they can use to measure anxiety. These methods will help them create a treatment plan that works for your symptoms and lifestyle.
Treatments for anxiety include:
- therapy
- medications
- lifestyle changes to reduce stress like: exercising, meditating, getting adequate sleep, and eating a nutritious diet
Treatments to target OAB include:
- eating different foods and avoiding ones that irritate your bladder
- drinking fewer fluids and avoiding caffeine
- retraining your bladder
- taking medications that target the nerves in your bladder or relax your bladder muscles
- strengthening your pelvic floor with targeted exercises
- undergoing surgery
- alternative treatments
A doctor can help find a combination of treatments that target both your anxiety and OAB so you can manage the conditions. You can also check out this article for other at-home remedies.
Can anxiety also make it difficult to urinate?
Yes. It’s possible that anxiety might make urinating more difficult. This is known as urinary retention. It’s also possible that you experience shy bladder syndrome and are unable to urinate in public due to stress.
OAB occurs for reasons other than anxiety. These can include:
- drinking too many liquids or too much caffeine
- being constipated
- taking medications that remove water from your body
- experiencing a neurological condition
- having surgery on your bladder or uterus
- having a bladder-related condition or a urinary tract infection (UTI)
- having another health condition, such as diabetes, an enlarged prostate, an injury to your spinal cord, a stroke, or multiple sclerosis
If you experience symptoms of OAB, talk with a doctor to diagnose the condition and determine any underlying causes. You can also learn more about telehealth diagnosis options for OAB in this video.
Anxiety and OAB are related, and one may cause the other. It’s important to see a doctor to diagnose your condition and create a treatment plan that will lessen the symptoms of both anxiety and OAB.
Treatments can include changes to your daily life, medications, and other methods like therapy or exercises.