How many types of urinary incontinency are there?

Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
Updated on April 07, 2025
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Urinary incontinence is currently mainly divided into stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, overflow urinary incontinence, and true urinary incontinence. The main symptom of stress urinary incontinence is urine leakage from the urethra during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or jumping rope. Urge urinary incontinence is commonly seen in acute bladder inflammation, people with diabetes, and those with sclerotic bladder necks, leading to situations of urge incontinence. The main manifestation is a sudden strong urge to urinate, requiring immediate action to urinate; if not managed in time, urine will leak from the urethra. Overflow incontinence, commonly found in lower urinary tract obstructions, especially in elderly men with prostate enlargement, causes overflow incontinence due to urethral blockage, characterized by a distinct feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
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How much water should a patient with urinary incontinence drink each day?

Patients with urinary incontinence generally need a daily water intake of about 1000 to 2000 milliliters. Although those suffering from urinary incontinence may involuntarily excrete urine from the urethra, their water intake needs to be the same as that of normal individuals. Drinking more water is beneficial for the body, as it increases urine production, which can dilute the concentration of stone-forming substances in the urine, thus reducing the likelihood of developing urinary stones. Increased urine production due to higher water intake can promptly flush the urinary tract, especially washing away bacteria on the urethra, thereby reducing the chances of urinary tract infections. Furthermore, drinking more water increases urine production and promptly excretes metabolic waste products produced in the body through the urine, thus preventing the accumulation of metabolic products.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Urinary incontinence pelvic floor muscle exercise method

If you want to improve urinary incontinence through pelvic floor muscle exercises, this method is mainly suitable for mild stress urinary incontinence and is not applicable to all types of urinary incontinence. Therefore, if you want to improve urinary incontinence through pelvic floor muscle exercises, you first need to determine if it is mild stress urinary incontinence before proceeding. Usually, we choose to do anal lift exercises to improve this. The specific exercise method for anal lift exercises is to take a deep breath, lift the anus, hold for about five seconds, then relax, and continuously practice 15 times. Perform 15 times per set, about 20 sets a day, and it needs to be maintained for more than half a year to be effective.

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Written by Chen Feng
Urology
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Is minimally invasive sling surgery for urinary incontinence permanent?

Minimally invasive sling surgery is generally suitable for patients with stress urinary incontinence. This surgery is usually not permanent, and its specific name is tension-free urethral suspension. It is used to increase the closure pressure of the urethra. Therefore, when the intra-abdominal pressure increases, the increased urethral closure pressure can prevent urine leakage. This surgery is one of the more common surgeries in clinical practice, but over time, various complications related to the surgery tend to increase. Common surgical complications include difficulty urinating, bladder perforation, and corrosion of the vaginal or urethral sling. Over time, the probability of corrosion gradually increases.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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What should elderly people do if they have slight urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is relatively common in the elderly. After excluding organic causes of urinary incontinence through examination, we should consider functional causes. This is mainly due to the relaxation of the urethral sphincter, pelvic floor, and the muscles around the urethra, which decreases the urethral pressure. When the abdominal pressure increases, it can cause urinary incontinence. We can improve the muscles of the pelvic floor gradually by undergoing pelvic floor rehabilitation therapy, which increases their strength and improves urinary incontinence. The key to pelvic floor rehabilitation is to provide patients with guidance and exercises for lifting the anus. By persisting in these exercises, the symptoms of urinary incontinence can be alleviated or eliminated.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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Can fecal incontinence be cancer?

The most common causes of fecal incontinence are neurological dysfunction or relaxation of the local anal sphincter. In some cases of advanced rectal cancer, excessive tumor growth can enlarge the local intestinal contents, leading to involuntary expulsion of feces. Diagnosis involves further examination using electronic colonoscopy, digital anal examination, and assessment of neurological function. If the cause is related to a neurological disorder, treatment by a neurologist is required. If the cause is relaxation of the anal sphincter, then anal sphincter tightening surgery may be considered. In cases where fecal incontinence is caused by an intestinal tumor, surgery to remove the tumor is recommended, along with radiation or chemotherapy.