Loss of bladder control is a health problem and a social problem. People who suffer from this condition have difficulty holding the flow of urine because they have little or no control of the bladder at all. It is not considered a disease, but bladder control loss is usually a sign that something else is going wrong. Bladder control problems also promote social inhibition because of the embarrassment people feel when urine leaks out at the most awkward of times.

In the United States, 15-30% of senior citizens have some form of problem with bladder control, but they do not make up the majority of its victims. In fact, incontinence, or the inability to voluntarily stop urine from flowing out, affects even people in their early 20s. About 13 million Americans suffer from incontinence, and most of them are women. There are six different types of bladder control problems. For you to be able to select the best treatment for your specific situation, you must get to know and understand these six types first.

1. Urge incontinence.

This happens when you feel a strong urge to urinate then you suddenly leak urine. Urge incontinence may be the result of nerves going haywire, which can be caused by a stroke, Parkinson's disease, or hormonal imbalances, more than a weak bladder muscle. It may also be the result of diabetes, urinary tract infection, or other medical conditions that affect the urinary tract.

2. Stress incontinence.

This does not refer to emotional or psychological stress; it refers to the stress applied to the bladder when the muscles that are supposed to hold it up are weak. The sphincter, which is the muscle that serves as the valve to the urethra, and the pelvic floor muscles are not strong enough to support the bladder. It may also be that the detrusor muscle itself, or the muscle found inside the wall of the bladder, is too weak to hold 300 ml of urine. When you sneeze, cough, or laugh, the muscles that support the urinary tract give way to the sudden flow of urine.

3. Temporary incontinence.

In some women who have a urinary tract infection, bladder control problems may increase. Obviously, however, temporary incontinence goes away after the infection is treated. There are also cases when incontinence happens as the result of certain kinds of medications.

4. Overactive bladder syndrome.

An overactive bladder is one that contracts and relaxes too often and without your permission. If you often feel the urgent need to urinate, one that you cannot even control, then you may have this syndrome. Some people even get up more than two times in the middle of the night to urinate, while others also have urge incontinence.

5. Functional incontinence.

This is more a result of outside impediments to going to the bathroom rather than abnormalities in the urinary tract. An example of functional incontinence is exhibited in bed-ridden persons who have to use a catheter to urinate.

6. Mixed incontinence.

Sometimes, people feel urge incontinence with urine leaks due to stress incontinence. This occurs as a combination of weak muscles and misbehaving nerves.