What are the characteristics of the various types of urinary incontinence?

Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
Updated on November 11, 2024
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There are several types of urinary incontinence, common ones include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and true incontinence. Stress incontinence, which is common in clinical practice, primarily occurs in women, especially in those who have given birth, are obese, or are elderly. It is characterized by the involuntary leakage of urine through the urethra during coughing, laughing, or sneezing. Urge incontinence, often seen in acute bladder inflammation, usually presents with symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, painful urination, and pain in the lower abdomen before the onset of incontinence. Overflow incontinence is more common in elderly men, caused by urinary obstructions, such as those resulting from prostatic hyperplasia compressing the urethra, leading to urinary retention. In this case, the patient's bladder area may exhibit significant distension and tenderness. True incontinence is often seen in cases of neurological damage, such as from spinal injury or intracranial disorders.

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The difference between bedwetting and urinary incontinence

Bedwetting, commonly known as wetting the bed, mainly refers to involuntary urination during sleep. Urinary incontinence, on the other hand, primarily refers to the situation where urine leaks from the urethral opening during the process of cleansing. There are many causes of urinary incontinence, and there are also various types, usually divided into stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and true incontinence. Treatment should be based on the specific type and cause of the incontinence. For mild stress urinary incontinence, it can be improved through exercises for the pelvic floor muscles and the detrusor muscle. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, surgical treatment is recommended. If the urge incontinence is caused by an infection, antibiotic treatment is needed.

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What should I do if I feel dizzy, nauseous, want to vomit, and have urinary incontinence?

Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and urinary incontinence may be related to neurasthenia, autonomic dysfunction, smoking, alcohol abuse, staying up late, excessive tension, excessive fatigue, urinary system inflammation, urinary tract infections, and stones. It is important to pay attention to rest, ensure adequate sleep, eat a light diet, eat less greasy food, eat less spicy and stimulating food, quit smoking and drinking, prevent colds and infections, maintain a good mood and attitude, avoid emotional excitement and excessive stress, avoid strenuous activities, and regularly monitor blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar.

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What causes urinary incontinence in the elderly?

Urinary incontinence in the elderly varies due to different mechanisms and types, with the two most common categories being genuine urinary incontinence, which is due to neurogenic bladder dysfunction or overactive detrusor muscles, damage to the urethral sphincter, or loss of bladder storage function. These are commonly seen in conditions like chronic stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and psychiatric diseases. The other major category is caused by relaxation of the urethral sphincter or pelvic floor muscles surrounding the urethra, leading to reduced urethral pressure. Incontinence in this category may occur when negative pressure increases, such as during coughing, sneezing, straining during bowel movements, or changing body position. This type of urinary incontinence is more common in elderly women and in elderly men who have had prostate removal, leading to damage to the external urethral sphincter.

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Urology
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How many types of urinary incontinency are there?

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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Will fecal incontinence heal on its own?

The causes of fecal incontinence in the anal region are primarily considered to be due to local organic lesions, or disturbances in nerve control, which can also lead to incontinence. If fecal incontinence is caused by either of these two reasons, it generally will not heal on its own. Severe diarrhea or acute intestinal infections can also cause fecal incontinence due to an increased frequency of bowel movements and acute inflammatory edema of the local intestinal mucosa. This can be alleviated by taking oral anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal medications. If the incontinence is caused by excessive relaxation of the anal sphincter, surgical treatment can be considered. If it is due to other neurogenic changes, active treatment of the primary disease is needed.