What Are the Causes of Bladder Leakage in Men?

Bladder leakage in men is less common than in women. Although some dismiss it as just another part of aging, it is not. Bladder leakage has several possible physical causes, many of which can be treated.

The Facts

• Bladder leakage in men, also called urinary incontinence, is the accidental leakage of urine. Some patients experience it in the form of small losses of urine; others endure frequent and severe leakages. Bladder leakage can be classified into different categories including stress, urge, functional and overflow incontinence. These different forms of leakage all have different causes including disease, medication and nerve function.

Stress

• The stress incontinence form of bladder leakage is the most common. It occurs when leakage is triggered by a cough, sneeze, or by body movements putting stress on the bladder. It can be caused by surgery to remove the prostrate. During surgery, the nerves involved in controlling urine can be damaged or affected, leading to loss of control. Other surgeries in the urogenital area can also result in bladder leakage. Over time, diabetes can damage can cause nerve damage that effects the ability to control urination.

Urge

• Bladder leakage can take the form of urge incontinence where leaks occur because of an overwhelming and uncontrollable urge to urinate. Causes for this include a growth inside the urethra or bladder. Overactive bladder, in which the bladder contracts strongly and irresistibly at the wrong time, also causes leakage. It can also be a symptom--sometimes the only one--of a bladder or urinary tract infection.

Functional

• Functional incontinence is the form of bladder leakage associated most with age or physical challenges. It is caused by a person's inability to reach a restroom in time to prevent urine from leaking. Arthritis is an example; when a person cannot walk to the restroom quickly or takes extra time to deal with buttons and zippers because of stiff, painful finger joints, then involuntary bladder leakage can result.

Overflow

• Overflow incontinence is bladder leakage in which urine loss occurs in constant dribbles. It usually involves frequent trips to the restroom to urinate. It can be caused by the natural increase in the prostate's size as a man ages, called BPH or Benign Prostate Hypertrophy. An enlarged prostate can compress the urethra and interfere with urinary control. Diseases and injuries that impact nerves associated with bladder control can also cause overflow leakage. They include spinal injuries, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.