The amount of leakage can vary from a large gush to a few drops. Many women experience incontinence of varying degrees from the young to the mature but the incidence increases with age. This is not a normal component of life and should not be thought of as a normal consequence of aging. There are several different types or urinary incontinence. Straining puts pressure on the bladder which results in leakage.
Urge incontinence is leakage from an overactive bladder.
Patients feel an overwhelming desire to urinate which cannot be controlled and incontinence occurs. Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence with components and symptoms of both. Overflow incontinence is leakage occurring with overdistension of the bladder. Overdistension results from partial obstruction of the bladder which causes a constant steady leakage of urine. Treatment for urinary incontinence varies depending on the type of incontinence.