Urinary incontinence happens when your bladder leaks urine by accident due to a number of physical and behavioral health causes. While leakage can be embarrassing, it’s a common condition—especially among women—and there are treatments to help get your bladder under control.
Q: What is urinary incontinence?
A: Urinary incontinence is when your bladder accidentally leaks urine. It is also called an overactive bladder. There are several types of urinary incontinence ranging from minor leaks from physical activities like sneezing, jumping or laughing to suddenly having to urinate and not being able to get to the bathroom in time to a combination of both. Knowing what type of incontinence you have will help you and your doctor determine the best treatment plan.
Types of incontinence
- Stress incontinence: This is the most common type of incontinence affecting 1 in 3 women. It happens when physical activity (exercise, laughing, sneezing, heavy lifting, etc.) puts pressure on the bladder and causes urine to leak in small or moderate amounts.
- Urge incontinence: Urge incontinence occurs when people suddenly need to urinate and they cannot get to the bathroom fast enough, sometimes causing embarrassing accidents. Urge incontinence can cause frequent urges to go the bathroom even if your bladder isn’t full. It can also be caused by a urinary tract infection or medical condition.
- Overflow incontinence: This type causes urine to leak as a result of having a bladder that doesn’t empty completely and is always full. Overflow incontinence may cause the urge to urinate, but when you go to the bathroom only a little urine comes out. Later, urine dribbles or leaks out of the bladder. It can also be caused by prostate problems.
- Functional incontinence: This type of incontinence is due to a physical or behavioral health condition that prevents you from reaching the bathroom quickly. For instance, a person who has back pain or arthritis might not get to the bathroom in time or be able to unbutton their pants fast enough. Conditions that impact brain function, like dementia, can also cause a person to forget they need to go to the bathroom.
Q: What causes urinary incontinence?
A: Depending on the type, urinary incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors including medical conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or stroke. For women, stress incontinence is caused by childbirth, menopause and pelvic floor muscle weakening also known as pelvic floor disorders. In men, urinary incontinence can be caused by an enlarged prostate or having prostate cancer surgery.
Sometimes, urinary incontinence is temporary, such as during pregnancy or as the result of taking certain medications. Beverages like coffee and alcohol can also make you urinate more frequently.
Q: What are the symptoms of urinary incontinence?
A: Urinary incontinence symptoms depend on the type of incontinence you have. For many people, symptoms can include uncontrollable leakage of urine, urinating by accident, sudden urges to urinate, inability to get to the toilet quick enough, frequent urination, waking up at night to urinate and urinating while sleeping.
Q: Who’s at risk for urinary incontinence?
A: Women are more likely than men to experience urinary incontinence due to a weakening of the pelvic muscles that support the bladder and urethra as they age. The risk of incontinence increases in women if they have chronic health conditions, have given birth vaginally, gone through menopause or had a hysterectomy.
Q: How is urinary incontinence treated?
A: There are treatments that can cure urinary incontinence depending on the type and severity of symptoms. Some options are as simple as behavior and lifestyle modifications to physical therapy, medication and surgery as a last resort. Here are 5 common treatment options for stress incontinence.
Q: How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?
A: Your doctor will talk to you about any bladder control issues you may have including how often you urinate, if you leak urine in between going to the bathroom, how much urine you leak and how long you have been leaking urine. You’ll also be asked about any medications you’re taking, medical conditions and past pregnancies. Tests include the following:
- Physical exam
- Urine samples
- Ultrasound
- Stress test to determine if you leak urine when coughing or during other activities
- Cystoscopy
- Urodynamic testing
Q: Can I prevent urinary incontinence?
A: Urinary incontinence can’t be completely prevented, but there are things you can do to improve bladder control. Losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol, drinking water instead of caffeinated drinks and alcohol and limiting nighttime drinks before bed can help. Don’t hold urine as it can weaken your bladder and make sure to fully empty your bladder when you go the bathroom. Women can avoid urinary tract infections which can lead to urinary incontinence by urinating after sex and wiping from front to back after using the toilet. Women can also strengthen pelvic muscles that help to hold urine in and empty the bladder by doing Kegel exercises.
Everyone can keep their bladder healthy by regularly exercising and maintaining a healthy diet.
Q: When should I see my doctor?
A: You should talk to your doctor if you are leaking urine, needing to urinate frequently or suddenly, if your urine is bloody or cloudy and if you have painful urination. You should also talk to your doctor if you are only urinating a little, you are having trouble starting to urinate or your urine stream is weak.
