What is the primary characteristic of urge incontinence?

The primary characteristic of urge incontinence is leakage accompanied by or preceded by a strong urge to urinate. This condition is marked by an involuntary loss of urine that occurs when the sudden and intense desire to void arises before reaching the bathroom. Patients often experience a compelling feeling that they must urinate immediately, and if they cannot get to a restroom in time, they may leak urine.

This urge can be triggered by various factors, such as hearing running water or being in a situation where using the restroom is imminent. The mechanism behind urge incontinence typically involves overactivity of the detrusor muscle in the bladder, leading to involuntary contractions that cause the urge and subsequent leakage.

In contrast to this, sudden loss of bladder control may be associated with different types of incontinence, such as stress incontinence or bladder instability. Inability to void completely refers to conditions like urinary retention, where there is a failure to empty the bladder entirely rather than uncontrolled leakage. Overflow incontinence occurs when there is a continuous dribbling of urine due to excessive bladder fullness and atony of the bladder, which is also distinct from the characteristics of urge incontinence. Hence, the key defining feature of urge incontinence is indeed the strong urge that accompanies or precedes