Forms and causes of urinary incontinence

The inability to store urine completely in the bladder is divided into different forms. The most common types of incontinence are so-called urge incontinence, stress or strain incontinence and overflow incontinence.

Urge Incontinence

The so-called urge incontinence is characterized by a sudden strong urge to urinate. In many cases the affected patients are no longer able to reach a toilet in time. This form of incontinence is caused by contractions of the bladder emptying muscles which are often caused by local inflammations (for example cystitis). Other common causes of urge incontinence are diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s syndrome.

Stress incontinence (Stress Incontinence)

Stress incontinence is usually caused by an increase in pressure in the abdominal area. Reasons for a corresponding increase in pressure can be strains, heavy pressing, laughing, coughing or sneezing. This form of incontinence is divided clinically into three degrees (Starney degrees of severity).

In mild forms of stress incontinence (grade 1), the uncontrolled leakage of urine from the bladder occurs mainly when coughing, laughing and sneezing. Patients suffering from grade 2 urinary incontinence, on the other hand, lose large quantities of urine even when suddenly starting to move, when standing up or sitting down and when lifting light weights. Stress incontinence of the 3rd degree is characterized by a strong loss of urine during movements that are not very strenuous and/or when lying down.

In women, this form of incontinence can often be the result of multiple spontaneous bursts which lead to overstretching and slackening of important structures of the pelvic floor. As a result, the organs of the pelvis may be lowered severely and an inadequate closing pressure in the urethra may develop. In men, this type of incontinence often occurs as a result of traumatic damage to the bladder closure muscles.Usually, prostate surgery (radical prostatectomy) or accidents are the cause.