Overactive Bladder Health Center

If you suspect you have overactive bladder, visit your doctor or health care professional. Your doctor can conduct a general physical exam and take a detailed medical history to determine the diagnosis. 

If nerve damage is suspected in the cause of your overactive bladder, there are multiple tests that can help confirm the diagnosis. Urodynamics are tests that measure pressure in the bladder while it is being filled. These tests are used to see how much the bladder can hold and whether the bladder empties completely. 

Imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRIs or CT (computed tomography) scans, can be used to take pictures of the urinary tract and nervous system to see if there is any nerve damage within the body. 

An EEG, or electroencephalograph, is a test in which wires and pads are applied to the forehead to sense disruptions in the brain. An EMG, or electromyography, uses wires and pads on the abdomen to directly test the nerves and muscles of the bladder.