Hi… I’ve recently started with incontinence. My doctor has told me its more than likely stress incontinence. (im yet to see an incontinence nurse) Its never fully been explained to me what it is so hopefully you can help. Can you tell me what different types of incontinence there is please? i always thought incontinence was just incontinence, i didn’t realise there was actually different types. Im just wanting to have a look before my appointment with the incontinence nurse but have no idea what to search! when i search ‘different types of incontinence’ its not really making much sense and im not great with computers. Thank you x
Hi, sorry to hear you are struggling with this.
Yes, there are different types of incontinence, which can be confusing if you haven’t been given a clear explanation.
Stress incontinence occurs when muscles supporting the bladder weaken. This is the most common type and there are many treatment options so you should not worry. In men, this can be caused by surgery for prostate cancer, heavy lifting, constipation and more. In women, it is common for it to be caused by pregnancy and childbirth. It can even simply be caused by ageing. Do any of these factors apply to you?
If you have stress incontinence, you will experience leakage when pressure is put on the bladder. This typically occurs when exercising, coughing and lifting heavy objects. Do you experience this often? You can learn more about this in our blog about stress incontinence.
The other main types of incontinence are the following:
Urge Incontinence: this is an involuntary loss of urine that occurs after a person has a strong and compelling urge to urinate
Overflow Incontinence: overflow incontinence is when you feel as though your bladder is never fully empty. This results in leakages that occur just after you have visited the toilet
Nocturnal Enuresis: this is the involuntary leakage of urine that happens during sleep or disturbs your sleeping pattern
Faecal Incontinence: faecal incontinence is the unwanted leakage of faeces due to poor bowel control
I hope this makes it clearer to understand which type you are experiencing. Would you like any advice on choosing a product or any lifestyle tips?
