The Four Basic Types of Urinary Incontinence

Stress Urinary Incontinence

Occurs when pelvic muscles have been damaged, causing the bladder to leak during exercise, coughing , sneezing, laughing, or any body movement which puts pressure on the bladder. A problem that commonly affects women, stress incontinence may occur after multiple childbirth or menopause. Pelvic fracture, radical prostatectomy, or bladder neck surgery can also damage the sphincter muscle and cause stress incontinence.

Urge Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder

Is the urgent need to pass urine and the inability to get to a toilet in time. Occurs when nerve passages along the pathway from the bladder to the brain are damaged, causing a sudden bladder contraction that cannot be consciously inhibited. Stroke, dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can all cause urge incontinence. Urge Incontinence is a major symptom of Over Active Bladder (OAB). Read more about overactive bladder treatment.

Mixed Incontinence

Is very common and occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge types of incontinence are present. Symptoms of one type of incontinence may be more severe than the other. Treatment may be a combination of the treatments listed for either urge or stress incontinence and will depend on which symptoms are more bothersome to the patient.

Chronic Retention of Urine

Refers to leakage that occurs when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the bladder's holding capacity. It can result from diabetes, pelvic trauma, extensive pelvic surgery, pelvic organ prolapse in women, enlarged prostate in men, injuries to the spinal cord, shingles, MS, or polio. If you would like additional information about the conditions that may cause chronic retention of urine, please review our detailed sections on prolapse, enlarged prostate, and neurological disorders.

Fecal Incontinence

Is the inability to control the passage or loss of gas, liquid and/or solid stool. This condition can vary from being partial, in which a person loses only a small amount of liquid waste, to complete, in which the entire solid bowel movement cannot be controlled.

**Incontinence from surgery is a transient condition that follows such operations as hysterectomies, cesarean sections, prostatectomies, lower intestinal surgery, or rectal surgery. This is not considered a diagnostic category. Incontinence can also occur due to other reversible factors, often outside of the urinary tract, such as restricted mobility. Mobility aids can help remove barriers to self-toileting on a timely basis. Other factors such as arthritis, may interfere with managing zippers, buttons, and articles of clothing -- or moving quickly enough to reach the toilet.