Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence happens when there is an impediment to the normal flow of urine out of the bladder and the bladder cannot empty completely. Overflow incontinence can be due to a number of conditions:
- A partial obstruction. In this case the urine cannot flow completely out of the bladder, so it never fully empties.
- An inactive bladder muscle. In contrast to urge incontinence, the bladder is less active than normal, not more. It cannot empty properly and so becomes distended, or swells. Eventually this distention stretches the internal sphincter until it opens partially and leakage occurs.
The causes of the conditions leading to overflow incontinence include the following:
- Tumors.
- Certain medications (anticholinergics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedatives, narcotics, alpha-adrenergic agonists, beta-adrenergic agonists, calcium channel blockers).
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Scar tissue.
- Nerve damage. In such cases, nerves in the bladder are damaged so that they are not sensitive to fullness and so do not trigger contraction. Damage can be caused by spinal cord injuries, previous surgery in the colon or rectum, and pelvic fractures. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and shingles can also affect nerves in this way.
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