Urinary urgencies range from sudden and occasional, to complete inabilities to hold urine. It is a common problem that affects people of all ages and affected by factors such as physiology, lifestyle and underlying medical problems. Urinary urgencies can occur at anytime and worsen with age. Discovering the cause of urinary urgencies will assist individuals in controlling symptoms and preventing bladder damage.
Overactive Bladder
Problems with bladder function are leading causes of urinary urgency. Overactive bladders cause sudden urges to urinate and difficulties in holding urination. The condition often occurs with older people, and when diseases or infections affect bladder function. MayoClinic.com reports that overactive bladders can result from problems with kidney functioning, nerve signals and muscle activity. Symptoms include sudden urges to urinate, frequent urination, pain and nocturia, which is the need to urinate throughout the night. Speaking to a health care professional can assist in finding effective treatment plans and tools for symptom relief.
Urinary Tract Infection
Frequent urination is a classic sign of urinary tract infections, or UTIs. Germs that enter the urethra and bladder cause these infections; these may invade various parts of the urinary tract, including the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. The National Kidney and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse explains that infections of the urinary tract are the second most common type of infection, and account for an estimated 8.3 million doctor visits a year. Symptoms of UTI include frequent urination, cloudy or bloody urine, pressure on the abdomen, and pain or burning when urinating. It is common for individuals with a UTI to urinate only a small amount of urine at a time, or feel a need to urinate even when they do not have to.
Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence results when urinary urgency leads to loss of bladder control. The condition can range from occasional leakage to uncontrollable urination. The loss of bladder control may result from such factors as weak pelvic muscles or obesity. When an individual is overweight, increased pressure on the bladder may cause urinary incontinence. Other causes include certain medications, alcohol, dehydration, bladder irritation or infection, explains the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Types of urinary incontinence include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, mixed incontinence and functional incontinence. Stress incontinence, for example, occurs from weakened pelvic and bladder muscles that cause loss of urine when coughing or laughing.
