Oops! Is That Pee | 4 Types of Urinary Incontinence

Loss of Bladder Control — Dealing with the Leaks

Full disclosure: For this article on the 4 types of Urinary Incontinence, I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network campaign for Depend. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Depend and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.

What is Urinary Incontinence?

When you lose control of your bladder that’s defined as urinary incontinence. Essentially, you can’t always control when you need to urinate. Incontinence occurs if the urine leaves the bladder and urethra without warning. Did you know that approximately 25 million people nationwide are affected? Also, according to Depend, an adult personal incontinence product company, bladder leakage is most common in people over 50 years old, like me. But it can also affect younger people, especially women who have given birth. Men can experience urinary incontinence as well.

What are the 4 types of Urinary Incontinence?

Stress Incontinence–Loss of urine when you place pressure or ‘stress’ on your bladder. Leakage when you sneeze, cough, laugh, exercise, or lift heavy items. Causes may include: physical changes from childbirth, pregnancy, menopause, being overweight
Urge Incontinence–Sudden, intense urge to urinate – often followed by involuntary loss of urine. Sudden or frequent emptying of bladder; getting up two or more times per night to urinate. Causes may include: bladder or urinary tract infections, bladder irritants, stroke, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis
Overflow Incontinence–Frequent or constant dribble of urine. Feeling your bladder is never empty; sometimes only a weak stream of urine. Causes may include: damaged bladder, blocked urethra, diabetes
Functional Incontinence– Inability to reach bathroom in time. Physical or psychological impairment where you cannot reach the bathroom in time. Causes may include: mobility limitations, pain with movement, medications, arthritis
~Source, DEPEND

A personal story

When I was little, my mom always used to ask all of us before we went anywhere “Did everyone go to the bathroom?” or more explicitly “Did everyone go pee?” It was, to say the very least…annoying, yet quite effective in avoiding accidents.

As I have rounded the corner to the age of 50 and passed it, I began to experience certain accidents during certain situations, especially in situations where I hadn’t emptied my bladder! I could no longer hold my urine in situations of laughing, coughing, or exercise. Yes, I was experiencing occasional leakage. I suffer from stress incontinence as defined above. Now THIS is certainly annoying!

I found that I could no longer travel “lightly”. I had to have a pair of pants/tights/bottoms for everyday and a few just- in-case pairs, as well. Bringing two pairs of underwear for each day of the trip became second nature. Traveling with a carry-on for a week in the winter became very difficult.

A night with my friends, coupled with a bottle of wine and much laughter, must also now include frequent trips to the bathroom because laughter is surely a situation which can lead to me experiencing bladder weakness. I bet many of you can relate to that!

When walking with my husband around our neighborhood, several times I have forgotten my mother’s warning (“Make sure you go to the bathroom”), and had to cut through the woods behind our house to get home quickly. I had leakage issues with each step and it became intolerable to keep walking.

Real People have Bladder Control Issues

Is this hard for me to reveal these VERY PERSONAL details to you? Actually…yes it is. I put off writing this post for some time because quite frankly, I wondered if you would laugh at me or make fun or me. But after visiting the and realizing there are products available to deal with life’s embarrassing situations if my condition worsens, I felt, perhaps, my honesty might help you or someone you love.

I am a real person, I have a real story. Depend brand created to show real people with bladder control issues in a series of inspirational videos.You can hear their stories as they discuss how the discreet fit of Depend Underwear with new Fit-Flex protection helped them to regain a sense of normalcy that helps give them the freedom and confidence they need every day.

Watch this video hear the story of Linda, a pilot:

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Mar Jennings weighs in

Top lifestyle expert Mar Jennings shares one of his bladder control tips:

If you experience bladder control issues, there are products available that provide a discreet and comfortable ﬁt, like Depend Underwear with new Fit-Flex protection, which features more Lycra strands, to help give you the freedom and conﬁdence you need to be active every day.

Watch this video to get a quick look at the Depend Underwear with new Fit-Flex protection to see what Mar is talking about.

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I feel that the new Depend Underwear with new fit-flex protection design fits close to the body without excess bagging. The flex Lycra strands seem like they would enable a more active lifestyles avoiding the crinkle sound and stiff feel that other brands experience. Truly, when I looked at and tried on the product (for review purposes), I felt like it was just underwear with a some extra protection. No big deal. And that’s the point isn’t it? People with the different types of urinary incontinence issues just want to find a product that helps them with their bladder control issues and makes their issues less of a deal!

Would you like to try a Sample?

Would you like to see how the Depend Underwear with new Fit-Flex protection works for your active lifestyle and under your clothes? Perhaps a loved one could use an incontinence product to help them discreetly manage this common condition? Depend wants to challenge men and women to try on their product for a weekend and see how it addresses incontinence issues.