New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary excretion of urine from one's body. Stress incontinence is essentially due to pelvic floor muscle weakness. It is loss of small amounts of urine with coughing, laughing, sneezing, exercising or other movements that increase intrabdominal pressure and thus increase pressure on the bladder. Physical changes resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause often cause stress incontinence, and in men it is a common problem following a prostatectomy. It is the most common form of incontinence in women and is treatable. Urge incontinence is involuntary loss of urine occurring for no apparent reason while suddenly feeling the need or urge to urinate. The most common cause of urge incontinence is involuntary and inappropriate detrusor muscle contractions. Involuntary actions of bladder muscles can occur because of damage to the nerves of the bladder, to the nervous system (spinal cord and brain), or to the muscles themselves. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's Disease, stroke, and injury - including injury that occurs during surgery - can all harm bladder nerves or muscles. People with functional incontinence may have problems thinking, moving, or communicating that prevent them from reaching a toilet. A person with Alzheimer's Disease, for example, may not think well enough to plan a timely trip to a restroom. A person in a wheelchair may be blocked from getting to a toilet in time. Conditions such as these are often associated with age and account for some of the incontinence of elderly women and men in nursing homes.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

April 8, 2026

Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with single-synapse precision. The method transforms brain ...
Scientists at Cornell University may be closing in on the long-sought “holy grail” of male contraception: a safe, reversible, nonhormonal method that completely halts sperm production. In a ...
Vitamin D levels in midlife may play a bigger role in long-term brain health than previously thought. In a study following nearly 800 people over 16 years, those with higher vitamin D levels in their 30s and 40s had lower levels of tau protein later ...
Scientists at Oregon State University have captured something researchers have long struggled to see: the real-time chemical interactions that help drive Alzheimer’s disease. By watching how metal ions—especially copper—trigger harmful protein ...
A gene called KLF5 may be a key force behind the spread of pancreatic cancer—but not in the way scientists expected. Rather than mutating DNA, it rewires how genes are turned on and off, helping tumors grow and invade new areas. Researchers found ...
Scientists have finally uncovered the missing link in how our bodies absorb queuosine, a rare micronutrient crucial for brain health, memory, stress response, and cancer defense. For decades, ...
A single week of intensive meditation and mind-body practices led to measurable changes across the brain and body. Researchers observed improved brain efficiency, boosted immune signaling, and increased natural pain relief chemicals in ...
A surprising new study reveals that what you eat could play a powerful role in fighting cholera, a deadly diarrheal disease. Researchers found that diets rich in certain proteins—especially casein from dairy and wheat gluten—can dramatically ...
Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling appetite. After a meal, glucose triggers tanycytes, which ...
Scientists have identified a little-known receptor, GPR133, as a powerful regulator of bone strength. By activating it with a newly discovered compound called AP503, they were able to boost bone density in mice and counteract osteoporosis-like ...
Scientists have identified a potential new weapon against hepatitis E, a virus with no approved treatment and tens of thousands of deaths each year. The drug bemnifosbuvir, currently in trials for hepatitis C, was found to block the virus from ...
Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising weakness in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers. They found that certain brain cells—once believed to only support healthy nerves—can actually help tumors grow by sending signals that ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET