What are the characteristics of the various types of urinary incontinence?
There are several types of urinary incontinence, common ones include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and true incontinence. Stress incontinence, which is common in clinical practice, primarily occurs in women, especially in those who have given birth, are obese, or are elderly. It is characterized by the involuntary leakage of urine through the urethra during coughing, laughing, or sneezing. Urge incontinence, often seen in acute bladder inflammation, usually presents with symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, painful urination, and pain in the lower abdomen before the onset of incontinence. Overflow incontinence is more common in elderly men, caused by urinary obstructions, such as those resulting from prostatic hyperplasia compressing the urethra, leading to urinary retention. In this case, the patient's bladder area may exhibit significant distension and tenderness. True incontinence is often seen in cases of neurological damage, such as from spinal injury or intracranial disorders.