Urge incontinence

Urge Incontinence

What is urge incontinence?

This is a common form of incontinence whereby you leak urine before you get chance to reach the toilet. Some people find that the muscles in their bladder contract uncontrollably at the wrong time. Unfortunately, you may find that you are given so little warning that your bladder needs emptying, you leak urine. This can happen every half hour in some cases. But, don’t worry, there are ways to treat and even cure urge incontinence.

What are the causes of urge incontinence?

The cause of urge incontinence is usually due to having an overactive bladder. The reasons why an overactive bladder develops is not fully understood. The bladder seems to become overactive and squeeze when you don’t want it to due to the wrong messages being sent to the brain.

Normally people get a feeling of wanting to pass urine when the bladder is about half full, even allowing us to hold on a while longer quite easily. However, some people may find that their bladder feels fuller than it actually is and so contracts too early making you suddenly feel the need to go to the toilet.

People often find that the symptoms of an overactive bladder are worse during periods of stress. However, caffeine drinks, such as tea and coffee, and alcohol, are also suggested to increase symptoms.

Symptoms of an overactive bladder can also occur following a nerve-related disease, such as a stroke or Parkinson’s disease.

Who does urge incontinence affect?

Urge incontinence can affect anyone at any age, especially women and older people. It is the second most common type of bladder problem.

How can it be treated?

Advice from a continence advisor is recommended who will suggest the most appropriate methods for you.

• Bladder retraining - Retraining the bladder often cures urge incontinence. The purpose of this is to help you ignore the need to urinate, so you are making the bladder tolerate being stretched when it fills. By controlling the frequency of needing the toilet you should get back to a normal pattern of emptying your bladder and so you should no longer experience urge incontinence
• Pelvic floor exercises - The exercises are the main treatment for stress incontinence. Many people have a mixture of urge and stress incontinence. Even though it is not clear if pelvic floor exercises help people with urge incontinence on its own, it may help with bladder training
• Surgery or medication - Your continence advisor may suggest that you take medication or have surgery to help, however this is very rare
• Lifestyle changes - Some alterations in your lifestyle may also help with an overactive bladder, such as reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, finding easy access to toilets, limiting your visits to the toilet to necessary ones, and drinking normal quantities of fluid