Leakage may occur with activities ranging from lifting a bag of groceries to coughing, laughing, sneezing or simply rising to a standing position. Stress urinary incontinence is caused by weak pelvic floor muscles which allow the neck of the bladder to sag. In this position, the bladder neck is unable to remain closed when abdominal pressure increases, resulting in leakage of urine. The medical term for this condition is urethral hypermobility, the most common cause of female stress incontinence. Factors contributing to stress incontinence include obesity, childbirth, trauma, loss of estrogen secretion after menopause, radiation therapy and prior surgery.
Urge incontinence is a strong urge to urinate followed by a sudden uncontrollable rush of urine.
This condition is usually caused by overactivity of the bladder muscle, a condition called detrusor instability in which the bladder contracts even when the person does not wish to urinate. Urge incontinence can be caused by bladder irritation due to infection, tumor, estrogen deficiency or neurological disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or severe disc problems. Sometimes urge incontinence accompanies stress incontinence, a condition called mixed incontinence. Finally, overflow incontinence is a frequent or constant dribble of urine. The bladder never feels completely emptied and urination produces only a weak stream.