Urinary Incontinence for Women

Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control or leaking urine. It can happen when you cough, laugh, sneeze, or jog. Or you may have a sudden need to go to the bathroom but can’t get there in time. Urinary incontinence affects twice as many women as men. This is because reproductive health events are unique to women, such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, and affect the bladder, urethra, and other muscles that support these organs. Some of the other causes are overweight, constipation and nerve damage.

Two of the most common types of urinary or bladder incontinence are:

• Stress incontinence: Activities like exercise, walking, stretching, bending, laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting place a strain on weakened pelvic floor muscles, which leads to leakage. Any activity that places a strain on pelvic floor muscles may lead to stress incontinence.
• Urge incontinence: Bladder urge is normal, but the urgency is not. Urgency can be defined as a constant urge sensation or sudden uncontrollable urge and can often make it difficult to reach the bathroom in time. Urgency can be brought on by a number of “triggers” and can be associated with frequency beyond 7 times per day and more than once at night.