Urinary incontinence has five major types with various causes and symptoms. Overflow incontinence is caused by a blocked urethra, while structural incontinence is rare and present at birth. Stress incontinence is common in women who have given birth, while urge incontinence is caused by nerve or muscle damage. Functional incontinence is caused by limited mobility or dementia. People suffering from incontinence should seek medical attention from a urologist.
Urinary incontinence, commonly referred to as ‘loss of bladder control’, is sometimes an embarrassing condition for many people. The condition can range from dripping while coughing or sneezing to severe leakage of all fluid held in the bladder. There are multiple causes and symptoms of the five major types of urinary incontinence.
Overflow incontinence is the first type of urinary incontinence and occurs when the bladder doesn’t know when to empty. The bladder will leak or drip out of the overflow but will always remain partially full. Overflow incontinence is most often associated with a blocked urethra caused by disease or damage to the spinal cord or nervous system. Overflow incontinence is more common in men than in women.
A very rare type of urinary incontinence is called structural incontinence. Structural incontinence is something people can be born with and will be diagnosed during their youth. For example, a baby born with an ectopic ureter, one that doesn’t empty into the bladder as it should, will cause structural incontinence that will need to be surgically corrected.
One of the most common types of urinary incontinence is stress incontinence. Stress incontinence is caused by weakness in the pelvic muscles that does not allow a person to “hold” it. Women who have gone through pregnancy and childbirth and men who have had a prostatectomy are more often victims of stress incontinence.
Urge incontinence occurs when someone feels the need to void and eliminates immediately. People with urge incontinence are said to have “spastic” or “overactive” bladders and that the bladder muscles are unable to control copious nerve messages. Urge incontinence can be caused by nerve or muscle damage resulting from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The last type of urinary incontinence is functional incontinence, which occurs when a person has an urge to urinate but cannot make it to the toilet in time. Functional incontinence is most often found in children or people with limited mobility. Other causes of functional incontinence are dementia, poor vision, depression and the logistical impossibility of going to the bathroom. Elderly people in nursing homes who are unable to wash themselves can sometimes be victims of functional incontinence.
It is important to remember that urinary incontinence is a serious condition that has emotional and physical symptoms and side effects. People who suffer from incontinence should immediately make an appointment with their doctor. Most often, patients will be referred to a urologist, who specializes in urinary tract functions, to diagnose and treat the condition.
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