What types of male bladder weakness are there?
There are many types of male bladder weakness. Certainly, everyone’s experience is different. So if you’re unsure of your symptoms, we advise you to contact a health care professional for a personal assessment, which normally starts with finding out when you experience urine loss and under what conditions. It might be an idea to keep a diary recording your urination pattern for a week so you can monitor what happens. You’ll then have a record to discuss with your doctor or continence advisor should you wish to. Click here to download a bladder weakness diary.
The main types of bladder weakness in men are listed below. We’ve used the correct medical terms so that you’ll be familiar with them should you choose to discuss your symptoms with your GP.
Urge Incontinence
Also known as an overactive bladder, this is the most common bladder weakness type for men. You experience a sudden urge to urinate and the bladder involuntarily expels urine. This is usually due to interference in the nerve signals between bladder and brain, often linked to either an enlarged prostate or as a result of prostate surgery.
You may also find that you need to urinate more frequently than the usual 4-8 times a day, and maybe also at night too. However, in certain cases you can ‘train’ your bladder to urinate less frequently and to avoid urinating at night. You’ll find advice on this in What you can do about male bladder weakness.
Stress Incontinence
Around 10% of male bladder weakness occurs with a sudden physical exertion such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or heavy lifting. It usually only involves small amounts of urine and is generally connected to a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. To find exercises that can strengthen the pelvic floor go to the Exercise Area.
Overflow Incontinence
This is a constant or episodic flow of urine, usually caused by an obstruction or nerve damage. If you’re experiencing this, it’s probably best to get it checked out by your doctor, as they are able to identify symptoms and diagnose this type of male incontinence.
Mixed Incontinence
Some 10-30% of men experience mixed symptoms. Usually it’s a combination of Stress Incontinence and Urge Incontinence. If you happen to have both bladder weakness types, there’s usually one that causes more of a problem than the other, so you should focus on dealing with the most frequent symptom first. Find out how to deal with this type in What you can do about male bladder weakness.
Functional Incontinence
Do you have a physical or mental condition that makes it difficult for you to reach the toilet in time?
Another type of bladder weakness is the inability to reach the toilet in time because of the difficulties caused by a physical or mental illness, which is known as Functional Incontinence. The security and confidence you get from Incontinence protection can help make this condition less stressful. For further advice find out What you can do about male bladder weakness.
Neurological Bladder Disorders
Do you have a neurological illness or brain injury?
Illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, Spina Bifida, Multiple Sclerosis or accidental brain damage can interfere with the way the bladder and brain communicate leading to an inability to control the bladder or empty it completely. These are known as Neurological Bladder Disorders.
Post-Micturition Dribble
This is when the bladder doesn’t empty completely and continues to leak after urinating. This is also common with an enlarged prostate or weakened pelvic floor muscles. For techniques on dealing with this go to What you can do about male bladder weakness.