Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss or leakage of urine. It is caused by many factors, and can result in a range of symptoms. Understanding the types, causes, and treatments of urinary incontinence can help you advocate for your health.
There are several types of urinary incontinence, each with their own causes, symptoms, and triggers. It’s important to understand what type of incontinence you have, as it guides the treatment plan your provider suggests for you.
- Stress incontinence: Leaking urine during certain activities or motions like coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercise; this is most common for people who are postpartum or postmenopause
- Urge incontinence: A strong, sudden urge to urinate that often happens too quickly to make it to a bathroom, resulting in leakage
- Mixed incontinence: A combination of stress and urge symptoms that lead to bladder leakage
- Overflow incontinence: Bladder doesn’t empty fully, causing dribbling or leakage; more likely if you have risk factors like diabetes or an enlarged prostate
- Functional incontinence: Physical or cognitive limitations prevent timely bathroom visits
Risk factors for urinary incontinence vary depending on your age and life stage. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, aging, obesity, pelvic surgery, and neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis or stroke can all play a role in causing incontinence. Hormonal changes and pelvic floor weakening, especially during pregnancy and menopause, are key contributors.
There are many ways to treat urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor physical therapy and bladder retraining are some of the front-line treatments, as they are the most conservative and non-invasive. Lifestyle changes (like cutting out or reducing your consumption of certain foods and drinks, timed voiding, and changing your fluid intake) and medications can also help. Vaginal estrogen therapy may be beneficial for those going through postmenopause. Pessaries or surgery may be recommended in more severe cases. Talk to your healthcare provider about your health history, symptoms, and the causes of your incontinence to determine the best treatment plan for you.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- “What Is Urinary Incontinence?” Cleveland Clinic, 3 Dec. 2025, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17596-urinary-incontinence.
- “Urinary Incontinence in Women.” ACOG, Nov. 2015, www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2015/11/urinary-incontinence-in-women.
- Franco, Maira M, et al. “Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Effect in Sexual Function in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 June 2021, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187758/.
