What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is an uncontrolled loss of urine, which can be caused by disruptions between your brain, spinal cord, bladder and pelvic support structures. Urinary incontinence affects over 40% of American women across all age groups and is common even among younger women.
Types of urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence comes in various forms and impacts women differently. From stress incontinence to functional limitations, each variation requires distinct approaches for improved bladder health and overall well-being.
- Stress incontinence: Stress incontinence occurs when physical activities such as coughing, sneezing or lifting lead to unintentional urine leakage. It’s common in women, particularly after childbirth or menopause, and results from insufficient support for the bladder and urethra.
- Urge incontinence: Urge incontinence, often associated with an overactive bladder, involves a sudden, intense urge to urinate, leading to involuntary urine leakage. Overactive bladder, characterized by a heightened urge to urinate, contributes to this condition.
- Overflow incontinence: Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder doesn’t empty fully, leading to a constant, involuntary leakage of small amounts of urine. You may have trouble going to the bathroom or feel your bladder is not empty after urinating.
- Functional incontinence: Functional incontinence results when you have the physical or cognitive capacity to control your bladder but face challenges reaching the toilet in time due to other health issues.
- Mixed incontinence: Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence. You may involuntarily leak urine during activities that exert pressure on your bladder (stress incontinence) and have sudden urges to urinate that may lead to leakage (urge incontinence).
Urinary incontinence symptoms
Although urinary incontinence comes in different types, they all share similar symptoms—mainly, leaking urine unintentionally. Accidents or leaks may occur only when pressure is placed on the bladder, such as when you’re laughing or sneezing, or they may happen unexpectedly.
You may have urinary incontinence if you experience the following symptoms:
- A sensation that you did not fully empty your bladder
- Feeling a need to urinate even if your bladder is only partially full
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
- Frequent, urgent need to urinate
- Leaking urine when trying to reach the toilet
- Leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze or exercise
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
- Weak urine stream
When to see a doctor
See your women’s health provider if symptoms affect your daily life. Urinary incontinence is not a natural part of getting older or a condition you must accept. Your provider can offer many effective treatments.
Scheduling an appointment is also important if you experience incontinence alongside pain or blood in your urine. These may be signs of other medical conditions.
Causes of urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence can occur for many reasons. Some relate to your diet or medications, while others are due to medical conditions and hormonal changes.
Risk factors for urinary incontinence
Risk factors that contribute to urinary incontinence include some lifestyle elements you can change and many factors you cannot. Understanding your risk factors can help you avoid or better manage incontinence.
- Age: As you get older, muscles in your bladder and pelvic region weaken.
- Excess weight: Obesity puts added pressure on the bladder and the muscles around it, increasing the risk of incontinence. Maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and a nutritious diet can help reduce your risk.
- Genetics: Certain genetic conditions influence the strength and integrity of pelvic floor muscles and connective tissues. Your risk of incontinence increases if you develop weak pelvic floor muscles.
- Sex: Women are at greater risk for urinary incontinence due to factors including multiple childbirths, particularly vaginal deliveries, and hormonal changes during menopause.
- Smoking: Smoking is linked to chronic coughing, which can weaken pelvic muscles and contribute to stress incontinence. Quitting smoking benefits your overall health and reduces your risk.
Diagnosing urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is typically something you can identify on your own. However, your gynecologist or women’s health provider can help you learn its cause so you can work together to find a treatment. Diagnosing the cause of urinary incontinence involves a physical exam and lab and imaging tests. Your provider may also ask you to log certain information in a bladder diary.
Urinary incontinence treatment
Urinary incontinence can significantly impact your quality of life, but various treatment options, ranging from noninvasive to surgical procedures, exist to help you address and manage this condition. Exploring these diverse approaches provides you with choices tailored to your unique needs and preferences.
Find specialized care for urinary incontinence
We offer several locations for your care, including specialized gynecology and urogynecology centers in North and Central Texas.
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