Urinary incontinence is the unintentional loss of urine. Stress incontinence happens when physical movement or activity â such as coughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting â puts pressure (stress) on your bladder. Stress incontinence is not related to psychological stress.
Stress incontinence differs from urge incontinence, which is the unintentional loss of urine caused by the bladder muscle contracting, usually associated with a sense of urgency. Stress incontinence is much more common in women than men.
If you have stress incontinence, you may feel embarrassed, isolate yourself, or limit your work and social life, especially exercise and leisure activities. With treatment, you'll likely be able to manage stress incontinence and improve your overall well-being.
Stress incontinence care at Mayo Clinic
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If you have stress incontinence, you may experience urine leakage when you:
You may not experience incontinence every time you do one of these things, but any pressure-increasing activity can make you more vulnerable to unintentional urine loss, particularly when your bladder is full.
Talk to your doctor if your symptoms interfere with daily activities, such as work, hobbies and social life.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles and other tissues that support the bladder (pelvic floor muscles) and the muscles that regulate the release of urine (urinary sphincter) weaken.
The bladder expands as it fills with urine. Normally, valve-like muscles in the urethra â the short tube that carries urine out of your body â stay closed as the bladder expands, preventing urine leakage until you reach a bathroom. But when those muscles weaken, anything that exerts force on the abdominal and pelvic muscles â sneezing, bending over, lifting, laughing hard, for instance â can put pressure on your bladder and cause urine leakage.
Your pelvic floor muscles and urinary sphincter may lose strength because of:
Other factors that may worsen stress incontinence include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
During your visit, your doctor looks for clues that may also indicate contributing factors. Your appointment will likely include a:
Your doctor might order urodynamic tests, which are used to assess the function of your bladder. Testing isn't necessary in most cases of uncomplicated stress urinary incontinence.
Bladder function tests may include:
Measurements of post-void residual urine. If there's concern about your ability to empty your bladder completely, particularly if you are older, have had prior bladder surgery or have diabetes, a test of your bladder efficiency may be needed.
To measure residual urine after you have voided, a thin tube (catheter) is passed through the urethra and into your bladder. The catheter drains the remaining urine, which can then be measured. Or a specialist may use an ultrasound scan, which translates sound waves into an image of your bladder and its contents.
Measuring bladder pressures. Some people, particularly if they have had a neurologic disease of the spinal cord, will need cystometry. Cystometry measures pressure in your bladder and in the surrounding region during bladder filling.
A catheter is used to fill your bladder slowly with warm fluid. Tests of your bladder leakage will be done during the filling to check for stress incontinence. This procedure may be combined with a pressure-flow study, which tells how much pressure your bladder has to exert in order to empty completely.
You and your doctor should discuss the results of any tests and decide how they impact your treatment strategy.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Complications of stress incontinence may include:
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Healthy lifestyle practices can ease symptoms of stress incontinence. These include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Treatments for stress incontinence can often substantially reduce, and possibly eliminate, urine leakage. Some people will still have urine leakage every now and then. Being prepared may help you cope.
Maintaining your connection with family, friends and co-workers can prevent feelings of isolation and depression that can accompany incontinence. Being prepared may help you feel more comfortable when you're out and about:
Leaking urine during sexual intercourse can be upsetting, but it doesn't necessarily have to get in the way of intimacy and enjoyment:
Being incontinent is never the norm as you age. Treatments are usually available to significantly reduce the effects of incontinence on your life. Stress incontinence can often be cured.
Find a doctor who's willing to work with you to determine the best way to treat your incontinence. Choosing the right treatments for you should be a partnership between you and your doctor. If your doctor doesn't want to discuss the pros and cons of the many treatment options with you, find another who will.
You might consider joining a support group. Organizations such as the National Association for Continence can provide you with resources and information about people who experience stress incontinence. Support groups offer an opportunity to voice concerns and often provide motivation to maintain self-care strategies.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Factors that increase the risk of developing stress incontinence include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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