UNION HOSPITAL SERVICES

Union Hospital Outpatient Therapy Services
Virtual Continence Center

Types of Urinary Incontinence

Stress Incontinence.
A leakage of urine with exertion; a cough, sneeze or laugh. This is the most common type of incontinence and the most responsive to treatment.

Urge Incontinence.
Sometimes referred to as reflex incontinence and most common in older adults. This is the involuntary loss of a large amount of urine with a strong urge to urinate resulting from overactive nerves controlling the bladder. Many times the incontinence is associated with an irritant; running water, walking by a bathroom or general nervousness.

Mixed Incontinence.
A combination of stress and urge incontinence.

Overflow Incontinence.
Caused by a blocked urethra or weak bladder muscles. This causes the bladder to always remain full and continually leak small amounts of urine. Nerve damage is a frequent culprit and can be caused from diabetes, tumors and urinary stones, among other causes.

Functional Incontinence.
Leakage of urine due to deficiencies in thinking, moving or communicating that prevent an individual from making it to a toilet in time.