Sufferers of urinary incontinence have their process of storing and passing urine disrupted. There are a few causes to this:

Stress incontinence: happens when the pressure inside your bladder becomes greater than the that to keep your urethra closed.  Any sudden extra pressure exerted on your bladder, such as during laughing or sneezing, can then cause urine to leak out of your urethra.

This problem may occur if muscles in your pelvis are weak or damaged, or your urethral sphincter – the ring of muscle that keeps the urethra closed – is damaged.

There are several causes to this, not limited to but include damage during childbirth or surgery,  pregnancy or obesity and neurological conditions.

Urge incontinence: this can be a result of damaged detrusor muscles. The detrusor muscles control urine coming in and going out of your bladder. Sometimes the detrusor muscles contract too often, creating an urgent need to go to the toilet. This can be caused by drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, lack of fluid intake, constipation, disease to the urinary tract, or consumption of medications.

Overflow incontinence: happens when there is a blockage or obstruction in the bladder. Once your bladder is full, the obstruction stops you from emptying it. Leaks then occur when pressure builds up. Causes of this obstruction include enlarged prostate gland in men, bladder stones, constipation and damaged detrusor muscles.

Total incontinence: occurs when no urine can be stored in your bladder, causing constant leakage. Total incontinence may be a result of birth defect, spinal cord injury, bladder damage, or medications.

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