From the Guidelines
Definition of Urinary Bladder Symptoms
Urinary bladder symptoms are defined as a group of symptoms that affect the normal functioning of the bladder, including urgency, frequency, nocturia, incontinence, and pain or discomfort 1. These symptoms can be further categorized into three main types:
- Storage symptoms: such as urgency, frequency, nocturia, and incontinence, which are experienced during the storage phase of the bladder 1
- Voiding symptoms: such as difficulty starting to urinate, weak urine flow, straining to urinate, and incomplete bladder emptying, which are experienced during the voiding phase 1
- Post-micturition symptoms: such as post-void dribbling 1
In clinical practice, the International Continence Society (ICS) definition is often used to guide diagnosis and treatment 1. The ICS defines overactive bladder (OAB) as the presence of "urinary urgency, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), in the absence of urinary tract infection or other obvious pathology" 1. If symptoms persist, a thorough medical evaluation, including a physical exam, medical history, and possibly urodynamic testing, is recommended to determine the underlying cause and develop an effective treatment plan 1.
From the Research
Definition of Urinary Bladder Symptoms
The definition of urinary bladder symptoms can be understood through various studies, including:
- Overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, as defined by the International Continence Society (ICS), are characterized by symptoms of urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, usually with increased daytime frequency and nocturia 2.
- Urgency is considered the core symptom of female overactive bladder syndrome, and patients can be categorized into different groups based on their symptoms, including dry symptoms (urgency, frequency, and nocturia) and wet symptoms (urgency, urge incontinence, and mixed stress incontinence) 3.
- Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) include a range of symptoms, such as storage symptoms, post-micturition symptoms, and voiding dysfunction, which can coexist with OAB symptoms 4.
Key Symptoms
Some key symptoms of urinary bladder disorders include:
- Urgency: a compelling feeling of impending incontinence that is difficult to defer 5.
- Frequency: increased daytime frequency of urination 2, 3.
- Nocturia: increased nighttime urination 2, 3.
- Urge incontinence: involuntary leakage of urine accompanied by or immediately preceded by urgency 3.
Challenges in Definition
There are challenges in defining urinary bladder symptoms, including: