You no longer have to suffer the shame, embarrassment and social isolation of stress incontinence. There many treatments that can let you get back to living your life and enjoying the activities you love again, and some do not require surgery or prescriptions that have unpleasant side effects. If you are experiencing the distress of UI, you are not alone! Over 25 million older adults have some type of urinary incontinence.
What is stress incontinence?
First, it’s important to know what stress incontinence is, and what the standard treatments are.
Stress incontinence happens when the muscles and other tissues that support the bladder (pelvic floor muscles) and the muscles that regulate the release of …show more content…
Normally, valve-like muscles in the urethra stay closed as the bladder grows, preventing urine from leaking until you reach a bathroom. But if those muscles are weak, anything that causes force on the abdominal and pelvic muscles, such as laughing, lifting, bending over or sneezing can put pressure on your bladder and cause urine to leak. Stress incontinence is much more common in women than men.
What causes stress incontinence?
Your pelvic floor muscles and urinary sphincter may weaken because of:
Childbirth - In women, tissue or nerve damage during childbirth may weaken or stress the muscles. This may cause stress incontinence soon after delivery or years later. Prostate surgery - In men, surgical removal of the prostate gland to treat prostate cancer is the most common reason for stress incontinence. Since the sphincter lies directly below the prostate gland and encircles the urethra, a prostatectomy can result in a weakened sphincter.
Contributing factors
Stress incontinence may be made worse by obesity, smoking, excess caffeine or alcohol, coughing. High impact activities or hormonal deficiency can also contribute.
What are the standard treatments for Stress