Urinary incontinence is a common problem that affects millions of people worldwide.
Having urinary incontinence means you pee by accident.
When and how this happens depends on the type of urinary incontinence you have.
Non-urgent advice: Talk to your GP if:
- you have urinary incontinence
This can be the first step towards finding a way to manage this common problem.
Common types of urinary incontinence
Most people with urinary incontinence either have stress incontinence or urge incontinence.
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is when pee leaks out as pressure is placed on your bladder. For example, when you cough. Stress incontinence is not linked to feeling stressed.
Other activities that may cause pee to leak include:
- sneezing
- laughing
- heavy lifting
- exercise
The amount of pee passed is usually small. But stress incontinence can sometimes cause you to pass larger amounts. This can happen if your bladder is very full.
Urge incontinence
Urge incontinence is when you:
- feel a sudden, intense need to pee
- are unable to delay going to the toilet because of the pressure on your bladder
There's often only a few seconds between the need to pee and the release of urine.
Your need to pee may be caused by a sudden change of position. It can even be caused by the sound of running water. You may also pee during sex, for example when you reach orgasm.
It often happens as part of a group of symptoms called overactive bladder syndrome. This is where the bladder muscle is more active than usual.
Overactive bladder syndrome can also mean you need to pee often. You may need to get up several times during the night to pee.
Mixed incontinence
Mixed incontinence is when you have symptoms of both stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
For example, you may:
- leak urine when you cough or sneeze
- have very intense urges to pee
Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence is also called chronic urinary retention. It happens when the bladder cannot completely empty when you pee. This causes the bladder to swell above its usual size, causing small amounts to spill out.
If you have overflow incontinence, you may pass small amounts of urine very often.
It may also feel as though:
- your bladder is never fully empty
- you cannot empty it even when you try
Continuous incontinence
Urinary incontinence that's severe and continuous is sometimes known as continuous incontinence.
This is when you pee large amounts all the time, or every now and again with frequent leaking.
Lower urinary tract symptoms
The lower urinary tract is made up of the bladder and the urethra (a tube which takes pee out of the body).
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in men and women as they get older.
Symptoms can include:
- problems with storing urine
- problems with peeing
- problems after you pee
Problems with storing urine
You may feel:
- an urgent or frequent need to go to the toilet
- like you need to go straight after you've just been
Problems with peeing
These can include:
- a slow stream of pee
- straining to pee
- stopping and starting as you pee
Problems after you pee
These can include:
- feeling as though you have not emptied your bladder
- passing a few drops of pee after you think you've finished
Having LUTS can increase the chance of urinary incontinence.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
