Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence means passing urine when you don't mean to. It's very common and affects millions of people in the UK. You shouldn't feel embarrassed about it - it's a medical condition that can often be helped.

Types of Urinary Incontinence

There are several different types:

Stress incontinence happens when your bladder is under pressure. You might leak urine when you cough, laugh, sneeze, or exercise.

Urge incontinence means you suddenly feel a very strong need to pass urine. You might leak before you can get to the toilet, or shortly after feeling the urge.

Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder doesn't empty properly. This causes frequent small leaks because your bladder is always partly full.

Total incontinence means your bladder can't store any urine at all. This causes constant leaking or very frequent passing of urine.

Some people have a mix of stress and urge incontinence.

What Causes It?

Different types have different causes:

• Stress incontinence usually happens because the muscles that control your bladder have become weak or damaged
• Urge incontinence is often caused by bladder muscles that are too active
• Overflow incontinence can happen when something blocks your bladder, stopping it from emptying properly
• Total incontinence might be caused by problems you're born with, spinal injuries, or other bladder problems

Some things make incontinence more likely:

• Pregnancy and giving birth
• Being very overweight
• Having family members with incontinence
• Getting older (though it's not a normal part of ageing)

When to See Your GP

Speak to your GP if you have any type of urinary incontinence. Don't feel embarrassed - GPs see this problem often and can help you find ways to manage it.

Your GP will ask about your symptoms and might:

• Do a physical examination
• Ask you to keep a diary of how much you drink and how often you pass urine
• Refer you to a specialist for more tests

Treatment Options

Many treatments can help:

Simple changes:

• Losing weight if you need to
• Cutting down on caffeine (tea, coffee, cola) and alcohol
• Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles around your bladder
• Bladder training to help you wait longer between toilet trips

Products that can help:

• Absorbent pads
• Portable urinals

Medicine might be suggested if simple changes don't help enough.

Surgery is sometimes an option, depending on what type of incontinence you have.

Prevention

You can't always prevent urinary incontinence, but these steps might help:

• Keep to a healthy weight
• Do pelvic floor exercises regularly
• Limit alcohol and caffeine
• If you get up often at night to pass urine, try drinking less in the evening (but still drink enough during the day)

Remember, urinary incontinence is treatable. The first step is talking to your GP, who can help you find the best approach for your situation.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.