Your urinary system is made up of:
- 2 Kidneys—the organs that make urine or pee
- 2 Ureters – the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder
- A bladder—the pouch that stores urine
- Urethra – the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body
Involuntary leakage of urine, otherwise known as urinary incontinence, is a medical condition that occurs when you cannot control the release of urine from your bladder.
There are several different types of urinary incontinence:
Stress Incontinence
- Stress incontinence occurs when pressure is placed on your bladder and urine leaks out. Some activities that place pressure on your bladder include: sneezing, laughing, exercising, and lifting heavy objects.
- If the muscles that keep your bladder or urethra closed are weak or the nerves that send signals to the bladder are damaged, stress incontinence may result.
Urge Incontinence
- Urge incontinence occurs when you suddenly need to pee very badly and urine leaks out before you can make it to the bathroom in time.
- If the muscles in your bladder squeeze urine out with great force and at an uncontrolled rate, then urge incontinence may result.
Overflow Incontinence
- Overflow incontinence occurs when your bladder is overfilled with urine and some amount of urine leaks out.
Functional Incontinence
- Functional incontinence occurs if a mental or physical impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s Disease prevents you from getting to the bathroom on time and some amount of urine leaks out.
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