Stress Urinary Incontinence and Urge Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common complaint that is thought to be significantly more prevalent in the female population, with an estimated prevalence up to 55%. In men, the prevalence of UI is largely unknown. However, because UI can be embarrassing and there is a perception that it is a normal and untreatable part of aging, not everyone with UI seeks treatment. This may be particularly relevant to the male population, where UI is historically thought to be infrequent.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the loss of small amounts of urine if you laugh, cough, sneeze or perform exercises or movements that increase the pressure in your abdomen. By increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) SUI can be reduced.
Urge urinary incontinence (UUI) is defined as a 'spontaneous leakage of urine'. It is associated with involuntary contractions of the bladder muscle and is often associated with urgency.
Mixed urinary incontinence is defined as a combination of stress and urge urinary incontinence.
