Urge incontinence involves the sensation of having a full bladder and having to rush to the toilet to pass urine when the bladder is not full at all. When you do not make the toilet in time urinary incontinence occurs. Urinary incontinence can be caused by a urinary tract infection, more rarely it can occur with problems from the spinal cord the result in overactivity of the bladder muscles. Also problems that affect the brain can cause urge incontinence such as stroke and dementia, as well as taking tablets that make you pass urine more often such as diuretics. In elderly people urge incontinence is most common cause of urinary incontinence and is more common in women because they have reduced resistance to the flow of urine due to childbirth or after menopause and a lack of oestrogen. Urge incontinence often occurs with stress incontinence which is called mixed incontinence.

One of the ways which you can control urge incontinence is to re-educate the bladder or bladder re-training which is a method of re-educating the bladder control habits. It works if you are very motivated to regain continence. Instead of the bladder emptying when it wants to, the cycle is reversed towards normal so that the brain tells the bladder when to empty instead of the other way around.

You need to keep a bladder chart, which needs to be filled in daily showing when you needed to go the toilet to pass urine and how often you are wet. You then need to go the toilet at set times say once in one hour, but this will depend on the individual in question. The chart needs to be filled in and when you can go to the toilet/keep dry at hourly intervals then the time between visits can be increased to one and half hourly intervals. This process is repeated until you can keep four hourly intervals between toileting and also staying dry with no incontinence episodes.

Bladder training can be carried out in two ways either in hospital which could be an intensive treatment which can achieve success in one week or at home. If done at home then this can take from three to six months, but this can be the most appropriate way of treatment due to commitments and work, always seek medical advise before performing any kind of bladder training.

One way to overcome urge incontinence is to apply perineal pressure by practicing pelvic floor contractions - using a pelvic floor exerciser. You can also use mental distractions such as mathematical problem solving. Also if you able to sit down cross your legs and point your toes. If you are unable to sit down stand on your tip toes, cross your legs and rub the backs of your thighs, these set of reflexes that calm the activity of the bladder.