There are several types of urinary incontinence. It’s important to work with your health care provider to identify the type of incontinence you have so you can get the right treatment.
This type of incontinence happens when your pelvic floor muscles have stretched, so pressure on the bladder makes you leak urine. It can happen when you cough, sneeze, laugh, run, jump or lift something heavy and can range from mild to severe. Stress incontinence is more common in women than men. Urine leaks may be small or larger depending on your activity and the strength of your muscles.
Also called reflex incontinence or overactive bladder, this type happens when you have a sudden, strong need to urinate. Your bladder receives nerve signals to empty even when you are not prepared. You might feel like you need to urinate frequently, and you might not make it to the bathroom in time.
With urge incontinence, you may worry about being far from a restroom or delay using one when needed. Certain triggers, like hearing or touching running water or even during sexual activity, can cause a sudden loss of urine. It can also wake you up throughout the night when you’re sleeping. Urge incontinence is more common as you get older.
Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge symptoms. With it, you leak urine because of pressure on the bladder and you also have a strong urge to urinate. This type is also more common in women than men.
You could have overflow incontinence when your bladder doesn’t empty fully, leading to frequent or continuous urine leakage. This can happen if your bladder control muscles are weak or if there is a blockage preventing normal flow. This type of incontinence is more common in men than women.
If you can’t get to a toilet on time because of physical, cognitive or mobility challenges, you could experience functional incontinence. Health problems like dementia, stroke or arthritis can make it hard to reach a bathroom in time, even if your bladder is working normally.
This type of incontinence is caused by a temporary situation, such as an infection or medication side effect. It usually goes away once the underlying health problem is treated.
A neurological (nervous system) condition that interrupts the signals between your bladder and your brain can cause reflex incontinence. With this type, you may not sense the urge to urinate, leading to unplanned urine leaks.
Total incontinence means you cannot control your urine at all, leading to constant leakage. It can be caused by physical abnormalities, nerve damage or other serious health problems.
Incontinence during sleep is not considered a health problem in children up to age 5. But if bedwetting continues in older children or into adulthood, it should be checked by a provider.
Learn about the factors that may increase your risk for urinary incontinence.
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