People who suffer from an overactive bladder - a common cause of adult incontinence - may benefit from Botulinum toxin A or 'botox' therapy, an expert has revealed.

While most people think of botox as a cosmetic procedure, it actually has a range of medical applications as well.

Dr Ardalan Abdolghafor Ghafouri, a urologist at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, revealed that the organisation's urology department regularly uses botox injections to assist patients with urinary incontinence caused by an overactive bladder.

He told the Gulf Times: "An overactive bladder is caused by unwanted contraction of bladder muscles and botox works by blocking nerve impulses to any muscles that have been injected - in this case bladder muscle. This causes the muscle to stop contracting."

The specialist explained that the therapy - which is performed by inserting an endoscope into the bladder in order to inject the dose - is usually recommended after lifestyle changes and drug treatments have failed.

Research suggests that about 80 per cent of patients with an overactive bladder may benefit from botox injections, which can be repeated within six to nine months as required.

According to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation, about a quarter of people experience problems with bladder control at some time during their life.