What Types of Incontinence Are There?

Stress Incontinence

If you leak urine after simply standing up from a sitting position, you may have stress incontinence.

This type of incontinence isn't due to emotional stress but rather physical stress—meaning increased pressure in the body or straining can force urine past the neck of the bladder and out through the urethra, per MedlinePlus.

"Anytime you exert yourself, increase pressure on the abdomen, and leak urine, that would be considered stress incontinence," Dr. Shah said.

Urine leakage when you laugh, sneeze, or cough is a common symptom of stress incontinence. Additionally, another sign of stress incontinence is leaking urine when lifting weights or performing other exercises. Women with incontinence can also experience urine leakage while having sex, Dr. Shah said—which is another indicator of this kind of incontinence.

Stress incontinence is more common in women than in men and is typically caused by factors that weaken the bladder muscles, such as aging, childbirth, excess weight, and surgery—particularly hysterectomy and prostate surgery.

Urge Incontinence

In situations where people can't delay going to urinate, they may be dealing with urge incontinence according to MedlinePlus.

"They know they have to go but feel they don't have enough time to get there," Dr. Shah said. "They can't stop the bladder, and their underwear is wet before they get to the bathroom or they are dripping on the floor."

Urge incontinence typically occurs when the bladder contracts at inappropriate times, and these bladder spasms result in incontinence. Bladder contractions can be the result of damage to the nerves or muscles of the bladder.

Although urge incontinence may happen following conditions such as bladder cancer, bladder inflammation, or infections, the cause of urge incontinence is often unidentifiable.

Overactive Bladder

If you feel the need to urinate frequently and that need is sudden, urgent, and uncontrollable, you may have overactive bladder—which can cause you to have urge incontinence. The feeling can occur even when the bladder contains only a small amount of urine.

Some people have an increased urinary urgency—which can trigger incontinence—when they hear the sound of running water or other noises in addition to engaging in daily rituals.

"Running water or thoughts of approaching home—as one waits for the garage door to open or unlocks the door—can actually exacerbate the symptoms of overactive bladder," Dr. Shah said.

Mixed Incontinence

It's common for anyone to have mixed incontinence, and in most cases, it involves stress and urge incontinence.

"Sometimes it's clear-cut, but it's not uncommon for patients to have both components," Dr. Shah said. However, one type of incontinence is usually more severe or annoying than the other.

This type of incontinence usually does not respond well to treatment, according to a December 2018 International Urogynecology Journal article. Since that can be the case, you'll want to seek medical advice. "One should see an expert to determine which conditions are present and then decide which therapy would be best," Dr. Shah added.

Other Types of Incontinence

According to MedlinePlus, individuals can also experience overflow incontinence, functional incontinence, transient incontinence, and bedwetting.

Overflow incontinence happens due to having too much urine in your bladder, while functional incontinence is urine leakage as the result of disabilities or other physical problems. Transient incontinence occurs when something (e.g., medicines) causes the incontinence but disappears when the cause is eliminated, and bedwetting occurs exclusively when someone leaks urine while asleep.

What Else To Know About Urinary Incontinence

Volume of leakage alone doesn't necessarily tell you what type of incontinence you have, Dr. Shah said. The amount leaked completely depends on the severity of the condition. Although people with stress incontinence are thought to leak less than people with urge incontinence, they can still release quite a bit if their condition is severe.

You can also make changes to help you manage incontinence specifically. For example, you can reduce your chance of leakage by going to the restroom and avoiding fluids before engaging in physical activity.

Additionally, doing Kegel exercises can help you tone the pelvic floor muscles, which hold in urine, and tame your incontinence. You could also try a more discreet option, like disposable underwear, to keep you protected in the moments when you're caught off-guard.

However, if your experiences with urinary incontinence are still problematic, you'll want to talk to your healthcare provider. They'll be able to take a closer look at your case and help determine the best treatment plan.