The Management of Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem, especially in women, and it can significantly impact quality of life. UI involves involuntary urine leakage, which can result in a number of symptoms, including urgency, frequency, and nocturia. UI may be classified as stress, urge, overflow, functional, or mixed, depending on the underlying etiology. First-line treatment involves nonpharmacologic measures regardless of UI type. When nonpharmacologic measures are insufficient, pharmacologic options may be considered for some types of UI. Many of the pharmacologic options for UI are associated with undesirable, yet manageable, adverse effects; therefore, counseling is important in fostering patient adherence to medications used to treat UI.