The Facts On Urinary Incontinence - Nebraska Medicine

Urinary incontinence (UI) is the loss of urine control, or the inability to hold your urine until you can reach a restroom. In this video, urogynecologist Kristin Rooney, MD, describes more about it and how to treat it. According to the National Association for Continence, approximately 25 million adult Americans experience temporary or chronic urinary incontinence. UI can strike at any age. Women over age 50 are the most likely to develop UI. Urinary incontinence may be a temporary condition, resulting from an underlying medical condition. It can range from the discomfort of slight losses of urine to severe, frequent wetting.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Incontinence is not an inevitable result of aging, but is particularly common in older people. It is often caused by specific changes in body function that may result from diseases, use of medications, and/or the onset of an illness. Sometimes it is the first and only symptom of a urinary tract infection. Women are most likely to develop incontinence either during pregnancy and childbirth, or after the hormonal changes of menopause, because of weakened pelvic muscles.

What are some of the different types of urinary incontinence?

The following are some of the different types of urinary incontinence:

Urge incontinence. The inability to hold urine long enough to reach a restroom. It is often found in people who have conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis, but may be an indication of other diseases or conditions that would also warrant medical attention.

Stress incontinence. The most common type of incontinence that involves the leakage of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or other body movements that put pressure on the bladder.

Functional incontinence. Leakage due to a difficulty reaching a restroom in time because of physical conditions such as arthritis.

Overflow incontinence. Leakage that occurs when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the bladder's capacity to hold it.

What are the symptoms of urinary incontinence?

The following are the most common symptoms of urinary incontinence. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

Inability to urinate

Pain related to filling the bladder and/or pain related to urination without a proven bladder infection

Progressive weakness of the urinary stream with or without a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying

An increased rate of urination without a proven bladder infection

Needing to rush to the restroom and/or losing urine if you do not get to restroom in time

Abnormal urination or changes in urination related to a nervous system

Abnormality, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis that interferes with urination

Leakage of urine that prevents activities

Leakage of urine that began or continued after surgery

Leakage of urine that causes embarrassment

Frequent bladder infections

The symptoms of urinary incontinence may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?

For people with urinary incontinence, it is important to consult a health care provider for a complete physical examination that focuses on the urinary and nervous systems, reproductive organs, and urine samples. In many cases, patients will then be referred to a urologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary tract.

For more information, call 1-800-922-0000 or visit www.NebraskaMed.com.