Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is an involuntary release of urine that happens when you do some kind of activity that pushes on your bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or heavy lifting. As the bladder fills with urine, it expands. The urethral sphincter muscle around the urethra (the tube that urine flows through to be released from the body) helps to keep the urethra “closed” until you are ready to urinate. It will also open the bladder neck (which connects the urethra to the bladder) to release the urine through the urethra and out of the body. However, when the muscles of the bladder or around the urethra become weak, you may not be able to control your urine well. As a result, any pressure, or stress, to the bladder forces accidental urine leakage.

Stress incontinence is one type of urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is a loss of voluntary control of your urine. A weak bladder or a urethra that is blocked by a urinary stone or tumor can cause overflow incontinence, which is when the bladder doesn’t empty enough. This also causes bladder leakage.

Urge incontinence, another type of incontinence, is when you feel the sudden need (or urge) to urinate and are not able to hold it in. It’s also known as an overactive bladder, which happens when your brain sends signals to your bladder to empty at the wrong time, causing your muscles to spasm and squeeze without warning. Most women with female stress incontinence have mixed incontinence, since urinary stress incontinence and urge incontinence often happen together.

Urinary incontinence causes vary. For men, it is common to have prostatectomy incontinence, which can occur after prostate surgery for prostate cancer. When the prostate gland is removed, there is less support for the urethra. However, male incontinence is not as common as incontinence in women. Female incontinence can develop as a result of being pregnant and giving birth because the pelvic floor (the group of muscles, tissue, and ligaments that support the pelvic organs) becomes weak from being stretched. The risk increases with multiple births. Stress incontinence can also develop as you age. Incontinence in the elderly is quite common because as we get older our muscles get weaker.

Stress incontinence is a treatable condition with surgical and non-surgical methods, depending on the severity of your condition. If your condition is affecting your way of life, call our office today for an appointment. Our doctors at Urology Specialists will evaluate your symptoms and help ease your concerns by offering you quality, high-class treatment options to get your life back on track.