University of Wisconsin Bladder & Incontinence Clinic

Bladder Symptoms

Stress Incontinence
Overactive Bladder (urge incontinence)
Lower urinary tract symptoms
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Neurogenic Bladder
Interstitial cystitis

Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is the loss of urine with activities such as laughing, coughing or exercising. Leakage results from increased pressure on the bladder causing urine to leak across a weakend sphincter.

Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder is a condition characterized by symptoms of frequent and urgent urination. It results from an involuntary contraction of the bladder that can produce such a sudden, strong urge to urinate that leakage occurs.

Lower urinary tract symptoms

common symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Frequent urination

Nocturia (waking at night to urinate)

Urgent urination

Post void dribbling

Hesitancy – difficulty initiating urination

Weak stream

Intermittent stream

Incomplete emptying

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH is a process of prostatic enlargement that occurs in aging men. It affects many men over the age of 40 and its prevalence increases with age. It is unrelated to prostate cancer and does not increase a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. The significance of BPH is in the symptoms that may result from prostatic enlargement. The enlarged prostate gland places pressure on the urethra capsule and produces obstruction to urine flow. This can produce a variety of symptoms knowns as “Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms” or LUTS. The symptoms of BPH can be quantitated using a standardized symptom score, known as the AUA symptom score.

Neurogenic bladder

Neurologic conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury or Stroke often interfere with the proper regulation of bladder function. The effects can range from lower urinary tract symptoms to a complete loss of bladder control – depending on the degree to which bladder control is affected.

Interstitial Cystitis

A syndrome characterized by pressure or pain in the bladder that is relieved by voiding.