US Medical Term · symptoms
Urinary Urgency
Urgencia urinaria
Also: Necesidad urgente de orinar (regional variant)
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Urinary Urgency |
| Spanish (Español) | Urgencia urinaria |
| Chinese (中文) | 尿急 |
| Korean (한국어) | 요급박 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Tiểu gấp |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Biglaang pangangailangan na umihî |
| Portuguese (Português) | Urgência urinária |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ปัสสาวะเร่งด่วน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 尿意切迫 |
What it means
Urinary urgency is the sudden, strong, and difficult-to-ignore need to urinate. Unlike the gradual sensation of a full bladder, urgency feels like an immediate need that may be hard to defer. It is a hallmark symptom of overactive bladder and can lead to urge urinary incontinence when the urge cannot be controlled. It can also result from urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, bladder stones, prostate conditions in men, and neurological diseases. Urgency that is new, worsening, or accompanied by burning, blood in the urine, or pelvic pain should be reported to a healthcare provider.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I get a sudden urge to urinate that I can barely control.
Me viene una necesidad repentina de orinar que apenas puedo controlar.
The urge to use the bathroom comes on so fast that I sometimes don't make it in time.
Las ganas de ir al baño vienen tan rápido que a veces no llego a tiempo.
I feel urgency to urinate even when I just went five minutes ago.
Siento urgencia de orinar aunque haya ido al baño hace cinco minutos.
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
R39 Other and unspecified symptoms and signs involving the genitourinary systemRelated terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026