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Urinating and Diabetes: What to Know

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On September 29, 2025
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Urinating and Diabetes: What to Know

Urinary incontinence isn’t peeing too often; it’s urinating or leaking when you don’t want to. It’s a common problem among people with diabetes, since over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the nerves that control bladder function.

“The bladder is a muscle, and if it loses normal nerve connections or function, the bladder may not empty fully,” says Dr. Donner. Nerve problems can also make it harder to sense when you have a full bladder.

There are several subtypes of incontinence:

  • Urge incontinence is when someone feels an intense need to urinate and will leak urine. Uncontrolled diabetes can also contribute to an overactive bladder.

  • Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder gets distended, then urine leaks out. Diabetes is a risk factor for this condition.
  • Stress incontinence is when urine leaks when pressure is put on the bladder. Obesity and nerve damage both increase the risk for it.
  • Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
Donner says that normalizing blood sugar can help prevent leaks, but nerve damage typically can’t be recovered. Treatment for incontinence can include urinating at regular times, doing exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, and creating a schedule for drinking fluids.

 Avoiding bladder irritants like chocolate and coffee may also be helpful in urge incontinence.

Medications can be helpful, too, and are specific to the type of incontinence. For example, alpha-adrenergic agonists can help with urge and overflow incontinence, as they help with muscle relaxation.

People who struggle with complete bladder emptying may want to try intermittent catheterization, says Abbal Koirala, MBBS, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. This involves inserting a tube into the bladder to drain the urine regularly.

“Incontinence associated with diabetes can be prevented by maintaining good blood sugar control,” Donner says. Other habits that might help with incontinence prevention include not smoking and avoiding alcohol and caffeine.

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