Incontinence is not a disorder, it is actually a symptom of various
conditions, and has several possible causes.
Types
of incontinence:
Stress Incontinence occurswhen
any movement that puts pressure on the bladder, such as coughing,
sneezing, laughing, exercise, lifting, bending over, etc., causes
small amounts of urine to leak. It occurs more often in women,
and is usually caused by weakened muscles in the bladder and
abdomen.
Urge Incontinence (also called "overactive"
or "spastic bladder") is a sudden, uncontrollable
urge to urinate followed by the release of urine, often a large
amount. It is caused by a sudden, inappropriate, uncontrollable
bladder contraction.
Mixed Incontinence is a combination of stress
and urge incontinence.
Overflow Incontinence can occurwhen the bladder doesn't empty completely during normal
urination, and small amounts of urine leak or dribble out often
and unexpectedly. This type can be caused by an obstructed flow
or bladder muscles that do not contract fully.
Less common types of incontinence include:
Functional Incontinence occurs whenphysical disabilities, external obstacles, or problems
in thinking or communicating prevent a person from getting
to
a bathroom before they urinate.
Reflex Incontinence (sometimes called unconscious
incontinence) occurs when a person is unaware
of the need to urinate.
Transient Incontinence is caused by a temporary
condition, such as an infection or medication.
