Stress Incontinence vs Urge Incontinence: What Is the Difference?
Last reviewed: May 2026
Your GP mentioned stress incontinence, or maybe urge incontinence, and you nodded along while mentally adding it to the list of things to Google when you got home. You're not alone. These two types account for the majority of incontinence in Australian adults, and they behave in completely different ways.
It's also a topic most people don't talk about openly, which makes it harder to get straight answers. Understanding which type you're dealing with changes everything: how you manage it day to day, which products actually help, and what treatment options are worth discussing with your doctor. The difference between stress and urge incontinence comes down to what triggers the leakage and how much warning you get.
What is the difference between stress and urge incontinence?
Stress incontinence is leakage caused by physical pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting. Urge incontinence is leakage that follows a sudden, intense need to urinate that you can't delay. They have different causes, different triggers, and respond to different management strategies.
Stress incontinence: what it looks and feels like
Stress incontinence happens when physical movement or exertion puts pressure on the bladder. The leakage is usually small in volume, sometimes just a few drops. It occurs without any urge or sensation beforehand. You don't feel like you need to go. The leak just happens.
Common triggers include coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, jumping, lifting something heavy, or even bending over. Some people notice it during exercise or playing with their kids. The pattern is always the same: physical effort, then a leak.
The underlying cause is typically a weakened pelvic floor. In women, this is often linked to pregnancy, vaginal delivery, menopause, or pelvic surgery. Stress incontinence affects 24 to 45 per cent of women over 30, according to published clinical data. In men, it's much less common and is almost always a result of prostate surgery.
The good news is that pelvic floor muscle training (often called Kegel exercises) is the first line of treatment and has strong clinical evidence behind it. A physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic health can design a programme tailored to your situation. One technique worth learning early is called "the knack": consciously tightening your pelvic floor just before you cough, sneeze, or lift. It's simple, and for many people with stress incontinence, it reduces leaks immediately.
We hear from customers who've been doing their exercises for a few months and suddenly realise they got through a whole day without thinking about it. That's the goal.
Products help alongside this. Pull-up pants are often the preferred choice for stress incontinence during everyday activity because they sit securely, move with you, and handle light to moderate leakage without being bulky.
Urge incontinence: what it looks and feels like
Urge incontinence is different. It starts with a sudden, overwhelming need to urinate, and if you can't reach a toilet quickly enough, leakage follows. The volume can be significant, sometimes a full bladder emptying. People often describe it as a wave that hits without much warning.
Triggers can include hearing running water, putting a key in the front door, or a sudden change in temperature. Some people find the urgency hits at predictable times; for others, it's random. Urge incontinence is associated with overactive bladder, a condition where the bladder muscle contracts unexpectedly.
It becomes more common with age, affecting around 31 per cent of women over 75 and 42 per cent of men over 75. That said, it isn't limited to older adults. Neurological conditions, certain medications, and chronic UTIs can all contribute.
Management usually starts with bladder training, which involves gradually increasing the time between toilet visits to retrain the bladder. Keeping a bladder diary for three days (recording when you drink, when you go, and when leaks happen) gives your GP or continence nurse a clear picture of your pattern. Your doctor may also discuss medication options.
For urge incontinence with higher volume episodes, wraparounds (slips) provide greater absorbency and a more secure fit, particularly at night or for people with reduced mobility.
Mixed incontinence: when it's both
Here's the thing: plenty of people have both. Mixed incontinence, a combination of stress and urge symptoms, is actually the most common presentation in women, accounting for 20 to 30 per cent of chronic incontinence cases. If you're reading this thinking "that sounds like me on both counts," that's completely normal.
The usual approach is to identify which type bothers you most and address that one first. A simple way to tell the difference: if your leaks happen during specific physical moments (a cough, a run, picking up the grandkids), that points to stress incontinence. If the urge hits suddenly and you can't make it to the bathroom in time, that's urge. Pelvic floor muscle training can improve both simultaneously, which is one of the reasons it's recommended across the board.
Stress, urge, and mixed aren't the only types of incontinence. Functional incontinence, overflow incontinence, and neurogenic bladder each have different causes and management. Read our overview of all incontinence types for a broader look.
Choosing the right product for your type
The type of incontinence you have should guide which product you reach for. It isn't just about absorbency ratings. A product that suits someone with light stress leakage during a morning walk is different from one designed for the unpredictable, higher-volume episodes of urge incontinence.
For stress incontinence, where leaks tend to be lighter and happen during movement, a pull-up pant offers the closest thing to regular underwear. It stays in place during activity and handles the kind of intermittent, smaller-volume leakage that stress incontinence produces.
For urge incontinence, you need something that can absorb a larger volume quickly. Wraparounds are built for exactly that. They provide higher absorbency and a secure fit that works well when episodes are less predictable.
One of the most common mistakes people make is assuming bigger equals better and sizing up. It doesn't. A product that's too large will gap at the legs and leak, regardless of its absorbency rating. Our customer support team hears this regularly: someone sizes up expecting better coverage, and ends up with more leaks, not fewer. Fit matters more than capacity. Measure your waist and match it to the sizing chart, and if you're between sizes, try the smaller one first.
If you find you need extra absorbency overnight without stepping up to a bulkier product, an insert booster pad inside a pull-up pant can extend wear time significantly. Most people don't know this option exists until someone tells them.
When to talk to your GP
If you're experiencing any form of incontinence, a conversation with your GP is worth having. They can help determine the type, rule out underlying causes, and refer you to a pelvic floor physiotherapist or continence specialist if needed. Continence Health Australia also offers a free helpline (1800 33 00 66) staffed by continence nurse advisors.
Incontinence isn't something you have to figure out alone, and it's far more common than most people realise. The 2024 Deloitte Access Economics report found that 7.2 million Australians experience some form of incontinence. That's one in three people over 15. Getting the right advice early makes a genuine difference to how you manage it.
For a broader look at managing incontinence day to day, our practical guide to living well with incontinence covers everything from skin care to choosing the right product for your situation.
If you're not sure which product suits your type, you can request a free trial. If your leaks are light and activity-related, try our pull-up pants. If your episodes are heavier or less predictable, our wraparounds may be the better starting point.