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Related terms:
anuria
dysuria
enuresis
glycosuria
hematuria
nocturia
oliguria
polyuria
proteinuria
Pathologic Function
urinary incontinence Audio
u·ri·nar·y in·con·ti·nence [ yoor-ih-nayr-ee in-kon-tih-nents ]
Subclass of:
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms; Urination Disorders
Definitions related to urinary incontinence:
  • Failure of voluntary control of the vesical and urethral sphincters, with constant or frequent involuntary passage of urine.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • (bladder incontinence) Inability to control the flow of urine from the bladder.
    ACC/AHA Clinical Data Terminology
    American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association , 2020
  • Inability to control urine flow, resulting in involuntary discharge or leakage.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Inability to control voluntary passage of urine from the body.
    U.S. FDA Glossary
    U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2021
  • Inability to hold urine in the bladder.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Involuntary loss of URINE, such as leaking of urine. It is a symptom of various underlying pathological processes. Major types of incontinence include URINARY URGE INCONTINENCE and URINARY STRESS INCONTINENCE.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Involuntary passage of urine outside the body.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Loss of the ability to control the urinary bladder leading to involuntary urination.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • Urinary incontinence (UI) is the loss of bladder control, or being unable to control urination. It is a common condition. It can range from being a minor problem to something that greatly affects your daily life. In any case, it can get better with proper treatment. There are several different types of UI. Each type has different symptoms and causes: Stress incontinence happens when stress or pressure on your bladder causes you to leak urine. This could be due to coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting something heavy, or physical activity. Causes include weak pelvic floor muscles and the bladder being out of its normal position.; Urge, or urgency, incontinence happens when you have a strong urge (need) to urinate, and some urine leaks out before you can make it to the toilet. It is often related to an overactive bladder. Urge incontinence is most common in older people. It can sometimes be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). It can also happen in some neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.; Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder doesn't empty all the way. This causes too much urine to stay in your bladder. Your bladder gets too full, and you leak urine. This form of UI is most common in men. Some of the causes include tumors, kidney stones, diabetes, and certain medicines.; Functional incontinence happens when a physical or mental disability, trouble speaking, or some other problem keeps you from getting to the toilet in time. For example, someone with arthritis may have trouble unbuttoning his or her pants, or a person with Alzheimer's disease may not realize they need to plan to use the toilet.; Mixed incontinence means that you have more than one type of incontinence. It's usually a combination of stress and urge incontinence.; Transient incontinence is urine leakage that is caused by a temporary (transient) situation such as an infection or new medicine. Once the cause is removed, the incontinence goes away.; Bedwetting refers to urine leakage during sleep. This is most common in children, but adults can also have it. Bedwetting is normal for many children. It is more common in boys. Bedwetting is often not considered a health problem, especially when it runs in the family. But if it still happens often at age 5 and older, it may be because of a bladder control problem. This problem could be caused by slow physical development, an illness, making too much urine at night, or another problem. Sometimes there is more than one cause.; In adults, the causes include some medicines, caffeine, and alcohol. It can also be caused by certain health problems, such as diabetes insipidus, a urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stones, enlarged prostate (BPH), and sleep apnea. . In adults, you are at higher risk of developing UI if you: Are female, especially after going through pregnancy, childbirth, and/or menopause; Are older. As you age, your urinary tract muscles weaken, making it harder to hold in urine.; Are a man with prostate problems; Have certain health problems, such as diabetes, obesity, or long-lasting constipation; Are a smoker; Have a birth defect that affects the structure of your urinary tract. In children, bedwetting is more common in younger children, boys, and those whose parents wet the bed when they were children. How is urinary...
    MedlinePlus
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • A disorder characterized by inability to control the flow of urine from the bladder.
    Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events
    U.S. National Institutes of Health, 2021
  • Urinary incontinence is an underdiagnosed and underreported problem that increases with age�affecting 50-84% of the elderly in long-term care facilities �and at any age is more than 2 times more common in females than in males. Essential update: Pilot study suggests adipose stem cells can aid female stress urinary incontinence Results...
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Urinary incontinence - the loss of bladder control - is a common and often embarrassing problem. The severity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that's so sudden and strong you don't get to a toilet in time.
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.

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