Causes of Urinary Incontinence

Cause details for Urinary Incontinence: Incontinence in women usually occurs because of problems with muscles that help to hold or release urine. The body stores urine--water and wastes removed by the kidneys--in the bladder, a balloon-like organ. The bladder connects to the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the body.

During urination, muscles in the wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time, sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax, letting urine pass out of the body (see figure 1). Incontinence will occur if your bladder muscles suddenly contract or muscles surrounding the urethra suddenly relax. ¹

Experts do not know what causes nighttime incontinence. Young people who experience nighttime wetting tend to be physically and emotionally normal. Most cases probably result from a mix of factors including slower physical development, an overproduction of urine at night, a lack of ability to recognize bladder filling when asleep, and, in some cases, anxiety. For many, there is a strong family history of bedwetting, suggesting an inherited factor. ²

Daytime incontinence that is not associated with urinary infection or anatomic abnormalities is less common than nighttime incontinence and tends to disappear much earlier than the nighttime versions. One possible cause of daytime incontinence is an overactive bladder. Many children with daytime incontinence have abnormal voiding habits, the most common being infrequent voiding. ²

Drinking alcohol can also cause these nerves to fail.

Water pills (diuretics) take fluid from swollen areas of your body and send it to the bladder. This may cause the bladder to leak because it fills more quickly than usual. Caffeine drinks such as coffee and cola have the same effect. Some foods such as chocolate also can cause bladder problems.³

Underlying condition causes of Urinary Incontinence: The list of possible underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Urinary Incontinence) mentioned in various sources as possible causes of Urinary Incontinence includes:

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Menopause
• Urinary tract infections
• Child-bearing - leads gradually to urinary incontinence in many women.
• Some of the types of incontinence include:
  • Urge incontinence
  • Stress incontinence
  • Overflow incontinence
  • Functional incontinence
  • Bedwetting
  • See also types of urinary incontinence
• Nerve damage (see Nerve symptoms) - damage to the nerves can cause worsened bladder control.
  • Diabetic neuropathy - affecting the bladder and urinary nerves
  • Stroke-related nerve damage
  • Neurogenic bladder
  • Spinal cord injury
• Heart problems
• Urinary tract tumors
• Stool impaction
• Poor muscle tone (see Muscle weakness)
• Previous surgery
• Other causes of stress incontinence (incontinence when coughing, sneezing,etc):
  • Childbirth
  • Pelvic floor muscle weakness
  • Chronic cough
  • Constipation
  • Estrogen deficiency
  • Menopause
• Some causes of urge incontinence (bladder emptying by itself without control when full):
  • Certain bladder conditions
  • Habitual bladder emptying - excessively frequent urination can lead to later incontinence.
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia - causing urge incontinence in men
• Other causes of uncontrolled incontinence or overflow incontinence include:
  • Spinal injury
  • Spinal cord disease
  • Stroke
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • CNS tumors
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Stroke
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Bladder surgery
  • Spina bifida
  • Urinary tract abnormality
  • Tertiary syphilis (type of Syphilis)
• Bladder stones (type of Urinary stones)
• Enlarged prostate
• Prostate disorders
• Aging
• Surgery
• Delirium
• Infection
• Urinary tract infection
• Cystitis
• Vaginitis
• Atrophic vaginitis
• Psychological problems
• Depression
• Certain medications
• Polyurea
• Diabetes
• Excessive liquid intake
• Restricted mobility
• Stool impaction
• Chronic constipation (type of Constipation)
• Vesicoureteral reflux

Urinary Incontinence as a complication: Other conditions that might have Urinary Incontinence as a complication might be potential underlying causes of Urinary Incontinence. The list of conditions listing Urinary Incontinence as a complication in our database includes:

• Autonomic neuropathy
• Benign Prostate Hyperplasia
• Childbirth
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Herniated disc
• Menopause
• Neurogenic bladder
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Spinal Cord Tumor

Urinary Incontinence as a symptom: Conditions listing Urinary Incontinence as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Urinary Incontinence. The list of conditions listing Urinary Incontinence as a symptom in our database includes:

• Bedwetting
• Binswanger's Disease
• Convulsions
• Cystocele
• Grand mal seizures
• Hydrocephalus
• Multi-Infarct Dementia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Neurogenic bladder
• Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy
• Paraplegia
• Shy-Drager Syndrome
• Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome
• Tropical Spastic Paraparesis
• Uterine prolapse

Causes of Urinary Incontinence: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Urinary Incontinence:

• Salvage radical prostatectomy benefits outweigh the risks

Related information for causes of Urinary Incontinence: Further relevant information on causes of Urinary Incontinence may be found in the risk factors for Urinary Incontinence and underlying causes of Urinary Incontinence.

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Urinary Incontinence in Women: NIDDK
2. excerpt from Urinary Incontinence in Children: NIDDK
3. excerpt from Your Medicines and Bladder Control: NIDDK

Last revision: Oct 30, 2003

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