Knowra Urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence is involuntary leakage of urine caused by problems with bladder storage or control. It ranges from occasional small leaks to persistent loss of bladder control.
Stress urinary incontinence : Urine leakage during physical effort, coughing, sneezing, or other increases in abdominal pressure. It occurs when pressure overwhelms urethral closure, often without a sudden urge to urinate.
Urinary bladder : A hollow muscular organ that stores urine before it is expelled from the body. Its filling and emptying functions define the storage problem behind many forms of leakage.
Urinalysis : Laboratory examination of urine for cells, chemicals, and other signs of urinary disease. It can identify infection or blood that may contribute to urinary symptoms.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia : Noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that can obstruct urine flow from the bladder. Outlet obstruction can cause retention and overflow-type leakage, especially in older men.
Overactive bladder : A symptom syndrome marked by urinary urgency, usually with frequency and nocturia, with or without urge incontinence. Urgency can occur without leakage, so overactive bladder is not synonymous with incontinence.
Urge incontinence : Urine leakage accompanied or immediately preceded by a sudden, difficult-to-defer urge to urinate. It reflects involuntary bladder contractions or urgency that defeats the usual storage period.
Urethra : The tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Continence depends partly on keeping this outlet closed between urinations.
Urodynamic testing : Tests that measure bladder filling, urine flow, and pressure during storage and emptying. These tests can clarify bladder function when symptoms or initial evaluation leave uncertainty.
Pregnancy : The period in which an embryo or fetus develops in the uterus. Pregnancy can increase pressure on the bladder and contribute to stress-related leakage.
Urinary retention : Inability to empty the bladder completely or at all. Retention is impaired emptying; it can cause overflow leakage but is not itself leakage.
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