Urinary incontinence is a common, but unnecessarily, concealed problem. If the symptoms interfere with daily life and worsen the quality of life, it is recommended that treatment is sought, for example, by consulting a gynaecologist or a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic floor dysfunction. Regular strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles with exercises prevents and often also reduces urinary incontinence. If self-help exercise does not help, there are other effective treatments for urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is a common symptom suffered occasionally by up to half of those individuals with a uterus. Urinary incontinence increases with age and especially after menopause due to the decrease in oestrogen and the drying of the mucous membranes it causes. Urinary incontinence is affected by 7% of 20-40 year olds with a uterus, 20% of 40-60 year olds, and every third of 60-80 year olds with a uterus.

Predisposing factors to urinary incontinence include age, number of births, obesity, connective tissue weakness, physically demanding work, chronic cough and smoking. 

Four types of urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is divided into four different types depending on the context in which urine escapes.

In stress urinary incontinence, urine leakage occurs in connection with e.g. coughing, laughing, jumping, running, lifting movements without a proactive urge to urinate. In this form, the muscles and connective tissue of the pelvic floor “deceive”, and when exerted, the pressure inside the abdominal cavity rises higher than the pressure in the urethra and the leakage of urine occurs. In this case, the amount of urine leaking at one time is often quite small.

In urgency urinary incontinence, the leakage of urine is preceded by a strong, often sudden, urge to urinate. It is caused by chronic bladder irritation e.g. heavy drinking, recurrent urinary tract infections, gynaecological surgeries, neurological diseases or mucosal dryness caused by a lack of oestrogen after menopause. Up to 80% of the cause of the symptom is unknown.

In mixed type urinary incontinence, both stress urinary incontinence and urgency urinary incontinence occur.

Overflow incontinence refers to a situation in which urine, as if, drains over the edges of a full bladder and the bladder does not empty properly. The cause of the symptom may be chronic diseases affecting the innervation of the bladder or pelvic organ prolapse, as a result of which the contractile force and function of the detrusor muscles surrounding the bladder and pelvic floor muscles are impaired.