OAB Checklist for Your Doctor

 By Dr. Veena G.D.

Generally we have a lot of FAQ’s for OAB but here are few queries which can help you self assess your condition. Carrying this checklist along with you to your Urologist will help the doctor get a quick glimpse of symptoms that are bothering you.

Do you often find yourself in the following situations?

Are you making 8 or more trips to the bathroom over a 24-hour period (frequency?)

Do you get a strong feeling of using bathroom right away (urgency?)

Does accidental wetting happen because you could not make it to the bathroom in time (incontinence ?)

Worrying about leaks or soaking accidents (incontinence ?)

Do you have to avoid any of the following outdoor activities with the fear of inability to reach the bathroom in time?

Long bus / car trips

Holiday trips

Going on picnics with family or friends

Sitting through board meetings

Sitting through a matinee, sports events or cultural programs

Traffic jams

Do you have to do the following?

Search for bathrooms, in prior, everywhere you go

In habit of carrying a change of clothes, just in case

Making sure to have an aisle seat while traveling

Using drying aids (pads) to protect against wetting

If you checked more than 2 boxes above, then probably you have OAB which needs to be confirmed and managed by your doctor.