The amount of leakage, which varies from a few drops to a large gush, usually increases with age. However, urinary incontinence is not a normal consequence of aging. Urge incontinence is leakage from an overactive bladder, which cannot be suppressed and controlled. Mixed incontinence is a combination of genuine stress and urge incontinence.
Overflow incontinence is leakage occurring with over distention of the bladder.
This usually results from partial obstruction of the urethra, thereby causing a constant dripping of urine. Treatment for urinary incontinence varies depending on the type of incontinence. The first step in treatment is accurate diagnosis. Additional tests may be necessary in more complicated cases. These may include multichannel urodynamic studies, which test the dynamics of various phases of bladder function, including bladder's filling, storage, and empting phases, plus nerve conduction.