Functional incontinence occurs when other health problems keep a woman from getting to the bathroom in time.

There are two types of abnormal urgency. There is urgency due to pain or fear of pain. Patients have a strong desire to void because bladder filling produces pain. The pain usually worsens as urine volume increases. These women anticipate pain as the bladder fills, causing them to urinate frequently in an attempt to alleviate it; patients can generally suppress the urge to void. Incontinence occurs only if the pain is so intense they must empty their bladders immediately to obtain relief. Painful urgency is usually caused by hypersensitive bladder, an infection, or a tumor. Many patients are ultimately diagnosed as having interstitial cystitis or a related condition.

The second form of urgency is related to fear than incontinence is imminent.

This feeling often progresses to urge incontinence; involuntary loss of urine associated with the strong desire to void.