The information on this website is general and does not replace an individual consultation, diagnosis or medical recommendation.
Three main patterns
Stress urinary incontinence typically causes leakage when coughing, laughing, running, jumping or lifting. Urgency urinary incontinence is linked to a sudden compelling need to urinate that is difficult to defer. Mixed incontinence combines features of both.
Stress
Leakage coincides with increased abdominal pressure during movement or effort.
Read about stress incontinence →Urgency
Sudden urgency, frequency or difficulty reaching the toilet in time is predominant.
Read about urgency incontinence →What is assessed
The clinical history, timing and amount of leakage, urinary habits, obstetric and gynaecological history, medication and impact on daily life help guide the diagnosis. A bladder diary can record timing, urgency, fluid intake and leakage. Examination and additional tests are selected according to the individual case; not every woman needs the same investigations.
Treatment follows the mechanism
Options may include education and lifestyle measures, bladder training, pelvic-floor rehabilitation, medication or procedures. Surgery may be considered for selected cases of stress incontinence. Technology does not replace clinical indication: first identify the problem, then discuss benefits, limitations and alternatives.
- Pelvic-floor work should be tailored to actual function rather than given as a generic exercise sheet.
- Urgency and overactive bladder require a different strategy from effort-related leakage.
- Mixed symptoms may need combined treatment or prioritisation of the most troublesome component.
When to request an assessment
Seek assessment when leakage interferes with exercise, work, sleep, relationships or social life; when it is worsening; or when new symptoms appear. Blood in the urine, pain, difficulty emptying the bladder, fever or recurrent infections require specific evaluation and should not simply be attributed to incontinence.
