Overactive bladder may be caused by a neurological condition resulting in involuntary bladder contractions, and while the symptoms may be similar to a bladder infection there are a number of important differences that will need to be identified before treatment is initiated.
Urinary Urgency
Overactive bladder and bladder infection may both cause an urgent need to urinate. Overactive bladder urgency is caused by sudden contractions of the muscles around the bladder, while bladder infection urgency is caused by bacteria irritating the urethra.
Frequent Urination
Because the bladder is suddenly contracting in the case of overactive bladder, frequent urination is necessary to avoid incontinence. Bladder infection also causes the need for frequent urination because of the irritation of the urethra, but often little urine will be produced.
Pain Upon Urination
While overactive bladder causes a potentially painful need to urinate, there is generally no pain upon actual urination. On the other hand, bladder infection may cause a burning or painful sensation in the urethra when urine is released.
Urine Odor
Bladder infection may cause a particular odor to emanate from the urine due to the presence of bacteria and bacterial metabolites, known as sulfites in the urine. Overactive bladder is not associated with a particular urinary smell.
Signs of Infection
As overactive bladder is generally considered to be caused by neurological signals, there will be no signs of infection. Bladder infection will include the presence of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine that may be seen under a microscope. In addition, a severe urinary tract infection may cause fatigue, fever and pain in the back if not treated.
Treatment
Overactive bladder may be treated with methods and medications to relax the bladder such as tolterodine and oxybutynin while a bladder infection will be treated with antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim or levafloxacin as well as analgesics such as phenazopyridine and acetaminophen.
