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                    Urologic Diseases
                    Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence)
                    Symptoms & Causes

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        Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence)
        Definition & Facts
                Symptoms & Causes
                Diagnosis
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                Clinical TrialsSymptoms & Causes of Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence)
**In this section:**
What are the symptoms of bladder control problems?
    When should I see a health care professional?
    What causes bladder control problems?
    What else causes bladder control problems in women?
    What else causes bladder control problems in men?What are the symptoms of bladder control problems?
A group of adults applaud at a meeting.You may have bladder control problems if you limit your activities in fear of not making it to a bathroom in time.Signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI) can include
leaking urine during everyday activities, such as lifting, bending, coughing, or exercising
    being unable to hold in urine after feeling a sudden, strong urge to urinate
    leaking urine without any warning or urge
    being unable to reach a toilet in time
    wetting your bed during sleep
    leaking during sexual activityWhen should I see a health care professional?
See a health care professional if you have symptoms of a bladder problem, such as trouble urinating, a loss of bladder control, waking to use the bathroom, pelvic pain, or leaking urine.
Bladder problems can affect your quality of life and cause other health problems. Your health care professional may be able to treat your UI by recommending lifestyle changes or a change in medicine.
Seek care right away
See a health care professional if you
can’t pass urine or empty your bladder, which is a sign of urinary retention
    urinate too often—eight or more bathroom visits a day—also called frequency
    see blood in your urine, called hematuria
    have bladder infection symptoms, including painful urinationThese symptoms can signal a serious health problem, including inflammation of the bladder, also called cystitis, or even bladder cancer.
What causes bladder control problems?
Health changes and problems, including those with your nervous system, and lifestyle factors can cause or contribute to UI in women and men.
Health changes and problems
Health changes and problems that can lead to UI, include
aging
    bladder infection
    constipation
    birth defects
    blocked urinary tract—from a tumor or kidney stone
    chronic, or long-lasting, cough
    diabetes
    overweight or obesity
    genitourinary fistulasSome health problems can be short-term, like a urinary tract infection or constipation, and can cause temporary incontinence.
Nerve damage
Problems with the nervous system are common causes of UI. Nerves carry messages from the bladder to the brain to let it know when the bladder is full. Nerves also carry messages from the brain to the bladder, telling muscles either to tighten or release. The brain decides if it’s an acceptable time to urinate. Functional incontinence can occur when there is a problem getting the messages from your brain to a part of your urinary tract—usually the bladder, the sphincters, or both.
The central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, showing nerve signals travelling from the brain, through the spinal cord, to the bladder, urethra, and sphincter muscles.Nerves carry signals from your brain to your bladder and sphincter muscles.
Bladder nerves and muscles can be damaged or affected by
diabetes
    vaginal childbirth
    surgery for prostate cancer
    stroke
    Parkinson’s disease
    multiple sclerosis
    Alzheimer’s disease
    brain or spinal cord injury
    anxiety
    heavy metal poisoningTriggers that may cause a sudden, strong urge to urinate can include drinking or touching water, hearing running water, or being in a cold environment, such as reaching into the freezer at the grocery store.
Lifestyle factors
Lifestyle factors that make women and men more likely to experience UI include
eating habits, such as eating foods that cause constipation
    drinking habits, such as drinking alcohol or caffeinated or carbonated beverages
    certain medicines
    physical inactivity
    smokingTemporary incontinence is usually a side effect of a medicine or short-term health condition. Temporary incontinence can also be a result of eating and drinking habits, including using alcohol or caffeine.
What else causes bladder control problems in women?
Certain life events and health problems can lead to stress incontinence in women by weakening the pelvic floor muscles
pregnancy and childbirth
    trauma or injury, such as sexual assault
    pelvic organ prolapse, such as a cystocele
    menopauseWeak pelvic floor muscles can make it hard for your bladder to hold urine in during stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when an action—coughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical activity—puts pressure on your bladder and causes urine to leak. A weak pelvic floor can also cause fecal incontinence, or bowel control problems.
Close-up illustration of a female bladder, ureters, pelvic floor muscles, and urethra.Weak pelvic floor muscles can allow your bladder to leak.What else causes bladder control problems in men?
Men sometimes develop UI along with prostate problems.
Prostate problems
Men have a prostate gland that surrounds the opening of the bladder. The prostate gets bigger as a man grows older. When a man’s prostate gets too big but isn’t cancerous, he has a condition called prostate enlargement, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Men with an enlarged prostate may have
problems starting to urinate
    a slow urine stream
    problems fully emptying the bladderTreatment for BPH can lead to stress incontinence, but it is usually temporary.
Men who have a history of radiation or surgery for prostate cancer may have short-term or long-term UI. Surgery, radiation, or other prostate cancer treatments can lead to nerve damage, bladder spasms, or stress incontinence. Bladder control problems after prostate cancer treatment can get better over time.
Close-up illustration of a male urinary tract, including the bladder, ureters, pelvic floor muscles, and urethra, and showing the prostate.When the prostate gets too big it can squeeze the urethra, making it hard to start urinating. You also may have a slow urine stream or be unable to completely empty your bladder.        Last Reviewed July 2021
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