Which type is most likely to occur with coughing, sneezing, or lifting?

• A. Urge Incontinence
• B. Stress Incontinence
• C. Overflow Incontinence
• D. Transient Incontinence

Answer: (B)

Stress incontinence occurs when urine leaks with activities that raise abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting. These brief pressure spikes push on the bladder, and if the pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter are weakened or stretched, they can’t maintain urethral closure. That weakness allows urine to escape during these moments of increased pressure.

Urge incontinence, by contrast, involves a sudden, strong urge to void with leakage that isn’t specifically tied to a physical strain. Overflow incontinence stems from incomplete bladder emptying, leading to constant dribbling or a weak stream, not leakage triggered by sudden pressure. Transient incontinence is temporary and due to reversible factors like infection, medications, or delirium, not a pattern tied to activities that raise pressure.

So the scenario described—leakage with coughing, sneezing, or lifting—best fits stress incontinence because it centers on leakage caused by increased intra-abdominal pressure against a compromised pelvic floor and urethral closure mechanism.