Types of Urinary Incontinence  and Their Symptoms

There are several types of urinary incontinence with difference symptoms.

Urge Incontinence

This happens when a person has a sudden and very strong urge to urinate and cannot make it to the toilet on time. Generally, a person’s brain is allowing their bladder muscle to contract when they are not ready to pass urine.

This is the most common type of urinary incontinence in older adults.

Stress Incontinence

A person can have this if they leak urine when the pressure in their stomach area increases.  Coughing, sneezing, laughing, or being active can cause stress incontinence. This most often happens to women.

Men may have this type of incontinence after prostate surgery.

Incontinence Related to Incomplete Bladder Emptying

Overflow incontinence happens when a person cannot completely empty their bladder. This is not common.  

Mixed Incontinence

People who have urge and stress incontinence may have mixed urinary incontinence. This is common in older women.

Last Updated February 2023