Women tend to experience loss of urine which happens involuntarily. Some women may just lose a few drops of urine when they run or cough. Others may feel an urge to urinate but leak a large amount of urine before they realise. There are others who have both the symptoms. This loss of urine which is not under one’s control is called urinary incontinence (UI).

The urine incontinence occurs because of a problem with the nerves and the muscles that hold or releases the urine. The bladder stores the urine water and the wastes that have been removed by the kidney. The bladder is connected to the urethra which is a tube through which urine leaves the body. When one wants to urinate, the muscles that are present in the wall of the bladder contract. This forces the urine into the urethra from the bladder. At this same time, the sphincter muscles that surrounds the urethra relax and this lets the urine pass out from the body.

Incontinence happens when either the muscles of the bladder contract or the sphincter muscles get weak and are unable to hold back the urine. In case of damage, the urine escapes with a lesser amount of pressure and this causes a positional change in the bladder.

Urinary incontinence types

There are various types of UI:Stress incontinence – If you leak urine when you laugh, cough or sneeze then you may be having stress incontinence. The action puts pressure on the bladder. This type of incontinence is common in women. Physical changes in the woman’s body because of pregnancy, childbirth or menopause can lead to UI. The condition tends to worsen before the menstrual period.

Urge incontinence –When you lose urine without any reason after you suddenly get the urge to urinate you may have urge incontinence. It is caused because of improper bladder contraction which happens because of abnormal nerve signals. Anxiety and some medical conditions like uncontrolled diabetes and hyperthyroidism can worsen the ailment.

Overactive bladder – This happens when the abnormal nerves send wrong signals to the bladder that causes the muscles to squeeze without giving any warning. Women who have an overactive bladder feel the urge to urinate very frequently. The symptoms could be an increase in urine frequency and get a strong and sudden urge to urinate. Urge incontinence or waking up at night to urinate is also the symptoms of an overactive bladder.

Functional inconsistence – People who have medical conditions like Alzheimer’s that interfere with the patient’s thinking, movement and communication actions suffer from functional incontinence. Those in a wheelchair may have functional inconsistence because they may find it tough to reach the toilet on time.Overflow incontinence-This happens when the bladder does not get emptied completely causing the urine to spill. It is caused because of a blocked urethra or weak bladder muscles. The condition is however rare in women.

UI is worrisome for most because it causes a lot of embarrassment. It is more common in women than men because of the difference is the structure of the female urinary tract. However, neurological injury, multiple sclerosis, birth defects or aging can cause urine inconsistency in both men and women.

UI is a medical condition that affects older women more than younger women. There is no single treatment for UI that works for all. However, the doctor can suggest solutions without the woman having to undergo surgery.