Types of Urinary Incontinence
Types of Female Urinary Incontinence
Stress Incontinence
Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is a when a woman leaks urine with physical activity such as laughing, coughing, or exercising. Female stress urinary incontinence is caused by an improperly functioning urethra, or bladder neck. Normally the urethra should provide a tight seal to prevent embarrassing and unexpected leakage of urine. When there is loss of support to the muscles and ligaments that support the urethra urine funnels down into the bladder next and will escape as pressure is exerted on the bladder such as when a woman is coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Stress incontinence involves the leakage of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or other body movements that put pressure on the bladder. It is one of the most common types of incontinence, particularly in women.
Urge Incontinence
Urge Incontinence sudden onset of the strong desire to urinate and subsequent loss of urine the inability to hold urine long enough to reach a restroom, is associated with a sudden, intense desire to urinate that cannot be resisted. It can be caused by neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, but it can also develop in patients without neurological diseases. Problems with bowel movements can also cause urge incontinence. Women with urge urinary incontinence are often not able to make it to the bathroom in time. Some women experience urge urinary incontinence when they hear running water or get close to a bathroom. Certain foods and beverages can make urge urinary incontinence worse.
Mixed Incontinence
Mixed Incontinence is a combination of both stress and urge incontinence, but can refer to any combination of types of incontinence Women with mixed urinary incontinence suffer from symptoms of both stress and urge urinary incontinence. Often one type seems worse than the other.
Unstable Bladder / Overactive Bladder /Detrusor Instability (DI)
Detusor Instability otherwise known as the Unstable Bladder or Overactive Bladder is caused by an overstimulation of the muscle that surrounds the bladder. Normally this muscle, called the Detrusor Muscle, should remain calm until you decide it is time to go to urinate. When we are toddlers we are training ourselves to control the bladder. An overactive bladder is embarrassing, and can control your life, as you are afraid to wander too far from the nearest bathroom. Overactive bladder is when the bladder muscle contracts unpredictably, causing frequent urination or the sudden, strong urge to urinate with or without leakage of urine. This medical condition affects more than 13 million men and women in the United States,. and can be considered “wet overactive bladder” or “dry overactive bladder”. Wet overactive bladder, sometimes referred to as urge urinary incontinence, affects more than 9 percent of women and is defined as urinary urgency that leads to leakage of urine. Dry overactive bladder affects more than 7 percent of women and is defined as urinary urgency and frequency without leakage of urine.
Overflow / Urinary Retention / Enuresis
Overflow, Urinary Retention, or Enuresis is a involuntary loss of urine without any associated urge to urinate or physical activity. For example- wetting the bed while sleeping. Overflow incontinence is leakage that occurs when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the bladder’s capacity to hold it. This type of incontinence generally develops when a person is unable to empty completely on a regular basis. Patients often complain of persistent dribbling, or urinating small amounts but not feeling empty. Symptoms of overflow incontinence include the continual loss of urine without a sense that the bladder is full. Other symptoms associated with overflow incontinence are an incomplete emptying of the bladder, a slow urine stream, difficulty starting urination or dribbling of urine after urination is complete. The two main types of overflow incontinence or urinary retention are acute urinary retention and chronic urinary retention. Acute urinary retention is a sudden inability to empty the bladder. This is associated with severe discomfort and is a medical emergency. Chronic urinary retention is an inability to empty the bladder completely that develops over time.
Painful Bladder Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis
Painful bladder syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis (PBS/IC) is a chronic condition that consists of urinary urgency, frequency, nocturia (waking up in the middle of the night more than once with the urge to urinate more than one time), and/or bladder pain, which tends to increase as the bladder fills. The intensity of these symptoms tend to range from mild to debilitating. The intensity of these symptoms tend to range from mild to debilitating. In severe cases, urinary frequency can occur more than 60 times a day during flares. Some foods and beverages as well as tobacco use tend to make the symptoms worse. Women suffering from Painful Bladder Syndrome may also suffer from additional pelvic pain from the spasm of the pelvic floor muscle, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, asthma, environmental allergies, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, vulvodynia and anxiety disorders.
Functional Incontinence
Functional Incontinence is a medical condition that prevents a person from making it to the bathroom in time to urinate, resulting in incontinence. Common examples include physical impairments such as arthritis, which make it difficult to move quickly enough to reach a restroom in time, or mental impairments such as dementia, which prevent a person from realizing when they need to urinate.
Total Incontinence
Total Incontinence is a persistent, continuous incontinence that can occur as a result of anatomic abnormalities or injuries that develop during surgery.
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