Physicians divide cases of urinary incontinence into several different types. It is not unusual to experience more than one type simultaneously, such as stress and urge incontinence. This is sometimes referred to as "mixed incontinence." Knowing the difference between the different types of urinary incontinence can help you communicate more meaningfully with your health care provider.
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Urge incontinence. People with urge incontinence start to lose urine as soon as they sense a strong need to use the toilet. If you have urge incontinence, you may leak urine when you can't get to the bathroom quickly enough, when you drink only a small amount of liquid, or when you encounter running water (such as the tap or a flushing toilet). Additionally, you may make frequent trips to the bathroom: every two hours during the day and night, for example. You may even wet your bed.
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Stress incontinence. Those with stress incontinence lose urine when they engage in exercise (including walking) or move in a certain way. If you have stress incontinence, you may also leak urine when you sneeze, cough, or laugh or when you rise from a sitting or lying down position. You also probably use the bathroom often during the day to avoid accidents. This is the most common cause of incontinence in women and not usually seen in men.
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Overflow incontinence. If you have overflow incontinence, you may feel as though your bladder is never totally empty, even after urinating. You probably lose small amounts of urine during the day and night and wake up to go to the bathroom several times a night. You may feel as if you have to empty your bladder often but cannot. Or you pass only a small amount of urine but feel as if your bladder is still partially full. Some people with overflow incontinence spend an unusually long time using the toilet but can produce only a weak, dribbling stream of urine. Then there are those who do not feel as though their bladder is full, but nevertheless lose urine day and night.
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Functional incontinence. This condition stems from problems with thinking, moving, or communicating that prevent a person from reaching a toilet in time. The Alzheimer's patient, for instance, may be incapable of planning a timely trip to the bathroom. A wheelchair user may have physical barriers to the bathroom.
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External Sources
 | The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
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| National Association for Continence
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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