Understanding the Forms of Incontinence Incontinence affects different individuals in different ways. People with stress incontinence may experience leakage when coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, lifting and performing other kinds of strenuous activity. Young women often experience this form of incontinence. They feel as if they can't reach the bathroom fast enough. Many women experience urge incontinence caused by infections that irritate the bladder or urethra, or cause muscle spasms which force the urine out of the bladder.
Constipation can also cause urge incontinence.
Still others experience urge incontinence through the loss of muscle control caused by strokes, spinal cord injury, dementia and diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The causes of the two forms may or may not be related, and should be evaluated separately. In both of these instances, the bladder never completely empties, and when it overfills, excess urine is forced out. Nervous system disorders and spinal cord injuries are frequent causes of overflow incontinence. People who are unable or unwilling to use a toilet are functionally incontinent.