Urinary incontinence is a term that describes accidental or involuntary loss of urine from the bladder. This can take the form of small leaks or a larger loss of bladder control.
A third of people living in the UK will experience incontinence at some point during their lifetimes. This common condition affects millions of individuals, of different ages, genders, and lifestyles and is nothing to be ashamed of.
There are a wide variety of treatments and management options available for people living with urinary incontinence. These range from medical and surgical interventions including medications and surgeries to products like catheters and sheaths.
Types of incontinence
There are six types of urinary incontinence which can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes there is an overlap of the causes for the different types. This is why it’s important to talk to your doctor if you suspect you’re suffering with urinary incontinence as the treatment will vary depending on the type.
Urge
Urge incontinence is also known as an overactive bladder. If you have urge incontinence you may experience the urge to urinate more frequently than others and may struggle to make it to the toilet in time. Urge incontinence is usually caused by the detrusor muscles in the walls of the bladder contracting more often than they should.
Stress
If you have stress incontinence you may experience involuntary leakage during activities that increase pressure in the abdomen like sneezing, coughing, laughing or sex. The main causes are age-related physiological changes and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Mixed urinary
This is when someone experiences the symptoms of both urge and stress incontinence. It’s most commonly experienced by people after labour and birth of more than one child and is caused by a combination of both bladder and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Overflow
Overflow incontinence is also known as chronic urinary retention and is when a person is unable to entirely empty their bladder when they urinate which can result in leaking. If you have overflow incontinence you may feel the need to urinate frequently but only pass small amounts of urine or, struggle to pass any at all. Your bladder may feel like it’s always full. Overflow incontinence can be cause by a blockage or obstruction in the bladder, like an enlarged prostate, bladder stones or constipation, or by the detrusor muscles in the bladder not contracting enough.
Total
Total incontinence is when you’re unable to store any amount of urine in your bladder. It is usually caused by congenital birth defects, spinal cord injuries or a bladder fistula.
Functional
Functional incontinence is when people experience urinary incontinence because they are unable to get to a bathroom. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as cognitive impairment, immobility, and individuals who are dependent on asking others to assist them with their toileting needs.
Can urinary incontinence be prevented?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent urinary incontinence but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing it. Making changes to your diet may help you reduce the number of times you need to urinate. Caffeine, which can be commonly found in coffee, tea and some carbonated drinks, is a diuretic and can make you urinate more often. Alcohol is also a diuretic and can disrupt the signals between your brain and bladder causing continence issues. Certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder and make you urinate more often like milk, citrus fruits and tomatoes. Practising pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen some of your muscles and reduce the risk of dysfunction.
Resources
If you’re living with urinary incontinence we have a number of resources that you may find helpful.
You’ll find information on how to do exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor, tips on how to stay hydrated and also advice on travel.
All of our guides are free to download.
