What Are the Types of Incontinence?

Stress - Intermittent, slight leakage of urine
Causes: weakened pelvic or sphincter muscles associated with pregnancy, childbirth, surgery or radiation therapy.
Symptoms:
- Bladder leakage with cough, sneeze, physical activity
- Bladder leakage in small amounts (drops, spurts)
- No incontinence at night
- Incontinence at night
- Incontinence without sensation of urine loss
Urge - A sudden, involuntary emptying of bladder
Causes: the bladder contracts when it should not. This can be caused by urinary tract infection or by brain damage typical of stroke.
Symptoms:
- Strong, uncontrolled urgency prior to incontinence
- More frequency of urination
- Incontinence at night more than 2 times
- Urine loss on way to bathroom
- Moderate to large amount of urine leakage (gush)
Mixed- Symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence
Overflow - A continual leakage of urine
Causes: bladder fails to contract when it should, or becomes overfull because it cannot release the urine due to an obstruction of the urethra. One of the reasons for this is the side effects of medication. Other causes can be constipation, or an enlarged prostate gland in men.
Symptoms:
- Difficulty starting urine streams
- Weak or intermittent stream ( dribbles)
- Post- void bladder dribbling
- Prolonged bladder voiding
- Feeling of fullness after bladder voiding
- Voiding small bladder amounts often
Functional - Usually associated with strong emotional states, psychiatric problems, poor mobility or physical barriers in the environment which prevent a person from reaching a toilet in time.
Causes: no physical disorder in the excretory system; however, psychiatric/ emotional problems or the physical inability to get to a toilet prevent normal continence.
Symptoms:
- Mobility / manual dexterity impairments (arthritis, tendonitis in hands)
- Lack of toilet access
- Medication usage ( sedative, hypnotic, CNS diuretic, anticholinergic, alpha-adrenergic antagonist)
- Pain with movement
Total - a constant loss urine
Cause: neurological disorder causes a lack of sensation. Some causes are spinal cord injuries, birth defects, severe trauma and senility.