| Life Matters | winter 2005 |
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Urinary Incontinence—What Is It?Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder or bowel control. A broad range of conditions and disorders can cause incontinence, including:
It also can occur as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. There are four basic types of incontinence: Urge incontinence—or overactive bladder, is the urgent need to pass urine and the inability to get to a toilet in time. It occurs when nerve passages along the pathway from the bladder to the brain are damaged, causing a sudden bladder contraction that cannot be consciously inhibited. Stress incontinence—occurs when pelvic muscles have been damaged, causing the bladder to leak during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, or any body movement that puts pressure on the bladder. Mixed incontinence—is very common and occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge types of incontinence are present. Overflow incontinence—refers to leakage that occurs when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the bladder’s holding capacity. |
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