Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is loss of bladder control. Symptoms can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common with age. Women experience UI twice as often as men.

Most bladder control problems happen when muscles are too weak or too active. If the muscles that keep your bladder closed are weak, you may have accidents when you sneeze, laugh or lift a heavy object. This is stress incontinence. If bladder muscles become too active, you may feel a strong urge to go to the bathroom when you have little urine in your bladder. This is urge incontinence or overactive bladder. There are other causes of incontinence, such as prostate problems and nerve damage.

Treatment depends on the type of problem you have and what best fits your lifestyle. It may include simple exercises, medicines, special devices or procedures prescribed by your doctor, or surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• External incontinence devices (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Indwelling catheter care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Inflatable artificial sphincter (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Kegel exercises – self-care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Self catheterization – female (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Self catheterization – male (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Stress incontinence (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Suprapubic catheter care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urge incontinence (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary catheters (Medical Encyclopedia)
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• Urinary incontinence – vaginal sling procedures (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary incontinence products (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary incontinence products – self-care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urinary incontinence surgery – female – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Urine drainage bags (Medical Encyclopedia)
• When you have urinary incontinence (Medical Encyclopedia)

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