Types of Incontinence

There Are Different Types of Incontinence

Stress Incontinence: The involuntary leakage of urine that occurs during physical activity. This refers to physical stress that applies pressure upon the bladder. The activity can vary and may include:

• Coughing
  
• Laughing
  
• Sneezing
  
• Exercise
  
• Sports
  
• Lifting
  
• Walking
  
• Getting Up from a Chair
  
• Sexual Activity

Urge Incontinence: The inability to control the sudden urge to urinate. Patients typically state, "When I have to go, I HAVE to go." They need to find a bathroom right away without delay. Certain things may trigger urge incontinence, such as:

• The sound or touch of running water
  
• Putting one's keys in the door upon arriving home
  
• Putting one's feet on the floor when first getting out of bed

Various foods and especially beverages may make the condition worse. Anxiety and mental stress may also worsen the symptoms. People who have this condition have an overactive bladder as well.

Mixed Incontinence: This refers to a common situation in which one has both stress incontinence and urge incontinence to some degree.

Overflow Incontinence: This comes from a failure of the bladder to empty normally. The bladder remains close to full, and small amounts of urine leak out almost continuously. Often, the urge to urinate is not present.

Functional Incontinence: This is a state in which the bladder is working properly but there are other reasons for an inability to get to a bathroom in time. This may relate to a problem such as advanced Alzheimer's disease, where a person no longer recognizes the need to urinate in a socially acceptable place- a toilet- and ignores the message from the bladder. It may also be due to severe mobility restrictions. In this case the patient would ordinarily have enough warning time from the bladder but, because it takes so long to make it to a bathroom, leakage occurs.