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Symptoms - Bladder function 

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Problems with the bladder may result in urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine) or urine retention (incomplete emptying) – some of the signs of urinary incontinence include:

  • small or large amounts of urine leaking without warning or without feeling the urge to go to the toilet
  • urine involuntarily leaking when sneezing, coughing, laughing or exercising
  • a sudden urge to rush to the toilet either before or during the leakage of urine
  • urine escaping before getting to a toilet
  • the need to get up to pass urine two or more times a night
  • recent leakage of urine during the night 

The most common types of urinary incontinence are stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence.

  • Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when the muscles in the pelvic floor, under sudden, increased pressure (stress), are too weak to hold the urethral sphincters closed. The result is an involuntary leakage of urine during everyday activities such as sneezing, coughing, laughing or exercising.
  • Urge urinary incontinence (unstable or overactive bladder) is caused by involuntary, uncontrolled contractions of the muscle in the bladder. This results in a sudden urge to go to the toilet, and involuntary urine leakage before reaching the toilet.
  • Mixed urinary incontinence is a combination of stress urinary incontinence and urge urinary incontinence.
Neurogenic bladder
Neurogenic bladder is the term for bladder dysfunction due to a neurological condition. The bladder is controlled by nerves and because of this, neurological diseases or damage to the nervous system can affect bladder function and the process of urination. Neurogenic bladder may occur as a consequence of:

Urinary symptoms vary depending on where the neurological damage occurs and how severe it is. Overactive bladder is associated with the symptoms of urge incontinence, while an underactive sphincter (affecting the muscles that control the passage of urine out of the bladder) results in symptoms of stress incontinence. Some neurogenic conditions can cause urinary retention or may completely prevent the bladder from emptying.

Find out more
Read about the treatments or see the bladder problems FAQs.
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