Urinary incontinence is the loss of urine control, or the inability to hold your urine until you can reach a restroom. There are several types of urinary incontinence:
- urge - this is characterized by frequency, urgency, and the inability to hold urine when the urge is present. You may not be able to reach the bathroom in time. Women often feel lower abdominal pressure, caused by a spasm of the bladder muscle. This type of incontinence may be caused by neurological disease, infection, or a mass that irritates the bladder.
- stress - this is characterized by the uncontrollable loss of urine when coughing, sneezing, exercising, or lifting. This type of incontinence is common in women and is caused by weakness in the pelvic muscles and organs that support the bladder.
- overflow - this happens when the bladder is too full. You take a long time to urinate and have a weak, interrupted stream when urinating. You void low amounts and do not feel completely empty. Sometimes you may feel the urge to urinate, but cannot. You may leak urine throughout the day. This is commonly caused by a blockage of the lower urinary tract, or weakened bladder muscles.
- reflex - results from an inability to feel when the bladder is full. This type of incontinence is associated with spinal cord injury or neurological disorders.
- functional - this is characterized by urination at inappropriate times and places, with no obvious urinary dysfunction. Impaired mental status caused by head injury, mental illness, or Alzheimer’s disease often contributes to this type of incontinence.
- mixed - Mixed incontinence is a combination of both stress and urge incontinence symptoms.