Incontinence Channel
Topics
Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
Causes of Male Incontinence
Some of the causes of male incontinence include: nerve problems, and prostate problems. Any diseases or conditions that cause damage to the nerves, bladder, prostate, or urethra can be causes of male incontinence.
Some of the causes of male urinary incontinence (UI) include:
- Nerve problems
- Prostate problems.
Causes of Male Incontinence: Nerve Problems
Any disease, condition, or injury that damages nerves can cause male incontinence. Nerve problems can occur at any age.
- Men who have had diabetes for many years may develop nerve damage that affects their bladder control, as well as their sexual function.
- Stroke, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis all affect the brain and nervous system, so they can also cause incontinence.
- Spinal cord injury can cause incontinence by interrupting the nerve signals required for bladder control.
- In neural birth defects, such as spina bifida or myelomeningocele, the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. In severe cases, nerve damage can result in many problems, including lack of control over urination.
- Overactive bladder is a condition in which the bladder squeezes at the wrong time. The condition may be caused by nerve problems, or it may occur without any clear cause. A person with overactive bladder may have any two or all three of the following symptoms:
- Urinary frequency—urination eight or more times a day or two or more times at night
- Urinary urgency—the sudden, strong need to urinate immediately
- Urge incontinence—urine leakage that follows a sudden, strong urge.

Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD