Urge incontinence is the inability to postpone urination once the need to void has been felt, regardless of time or place. The result is that some or all of the urine in the bladder is whilst rising or walking to the toilet. Urge incontinence is associated with a sudden, strong urge to urinate. It could also refer to the sudden, unexpected loss of large amounts of urine. It is caused by inappropriate bladder muscle contractions or, basically, bladder spasms caused by faulty nervous impulses. It is often associated with stress incontinence or prolapse of the uterus, in which the pelvic floor muscles are weak, or with urinary tract infections such as cystitis.
Although stress incontinence is the most common form of urine loss in women overall, urge incontinence is the most common form of urine loss in older women.