Mixed incontinence

The so-called mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence.

Overflow incontinence

So-called overflow incontinence is usually caused by a flow disorder. As a result of the reduced urine outflow, a permanently overfilled bladder develops. Over time, the enormous pressure load on the bladder causes the closing pressure of the external bladder sphincter to be exceeded.

At this point, effective retention of urine is no longer possible. A direct cause of this form of incontinence is therefore the obstruction of the urinary tract. This obstruction can in turn be triggered by various factors.

In men, benign enlargement of the prostate is the main cause. Over time, an enormous increase in prostate tissue causes narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture). A further cause for the development of urinary incontinence or the formation of an obstruction in the drainage of the urinary tract are high-grade stenoses of the urethra itself.

Various neurological diseases that lead to a slackening of the detrusor muscle can also provoke overflow incontinence. Some patients also develop this form of incontinence as a result of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Since the permanent, excessive filling of the urinary bladder causes urine to flow back into the ureters in some cases, the affected patients have an increased risk of developing renal failure (loss of kidney function). In addition, this form of incontinence does not lead to so-called uraemia. Urinary poisoning

Reflex Incontinence

The cause of reflex incontinence is a disturbance in the inhibitory nerve impulses sent from the brain to the bladder. As a result, the activity impulses between the bladder and the spinal cord predominate. This excessive activation triggers a reflex-like contraction of the detrusor muscle at the bladder and thus urination.

Furthermore, incomplete emptying of the bladder with detectable residual urine is one of the typical symptoms of reflex incontinence. This form of incontinence can be observed especially in patients with paraplegia above the center of the bladder. Other causes of such incontinence are degenerative diseases of the nervous system (e.g. multiple sclerosis).