Causes and Symptoms of Urge Urinary Incontinence
Urge Incontinence Causes
To understand what can cause an urge incontinence, it’s important to know how the the urinary system works:
- The kidneys produce urine which then drains into the bladder.
- When the bladder fills, nerve signals are transmitted to the brain, eventually causing the urge to urinate.
- When the person is ready to urinate, the brain sends signals to the muscles around the pelvic floor and urethra to allow the urine to be released.
When there is a malfunction in any steps of this process, issues such as urge incontinence can arise. The following issues are among the most common causes of urge incontinence:
- Diabetes
- Neurological dysfunction
- Medication side effects
- Bladder abnormalities or growths
- Age-related cognitive function decline
Overactive Bladder & Urge Incontinence Symptoms
Some people find that they may need to urinate more frequently due to factors such as drinking too much water or consuming a diuretic like coffee. These issues may temporarily lead to more frequent urination, but a person who has true symptoms of urge incontinence will feel the following signs on a consistent basis:
- A Sudden Urge to Urinate. A person with urge incontinence will often find themselves feeling the sudden and overwhelming need to urinate at random times during the day. The urge is sudden and will occur regardless of how much and how recently the person has had a drink.
- Frequent Urination. In a person with normal bladder function, urination occurs no more than eight times in a 24 hour period. A person who has an urge incontinence will need to visit the restroom more times than that and in some cases, may only release a small amount of urine at a time.
- Disrupted Sleep. It is normal to occasionally awaken during the night to urinate, but in people with urge incontinence, the issue is more consistent. Sufferers often wake up during the night one to two times to urinate on an almost nightly basis.