Stress incontinence is a problem that many different types of people suffer with. You might think that there is only ever a search happening for incontinence pads for elderly people, but stress incontinence can hit people of all ages. Many of those suffering though, do so in silence due to embarrassment or shame, but there is no need to feel that way. Understanding stress incontinence and learning about ways to manage it and utilise the expertise of specialists supplying various urinary products such as incontinence bed sheets, premature nappies and other incontinence products, will provide you with the peace of mind and support to live a full life despite stress incontinence.
What is stress incontinence?
The clear definition of stress incontinence is that it is when urine leaks out at a time when your bladder is under pressure. This could be when you laugh or cough, or lift something heavy, for example. This stress, caused by a sudden cough, sneeze or similar can cause a small amount of urine to leak from the urethra. It has nothing to do with psychological stress, instead it is about the physical stress and pressure that these activities are placing on your bladder muscles. This stress can cause either a small or a large amount of urine to leak, and this can be both unpleasant as a sensation and cause embarrassment.
How is stress incontinence different to urge incontinence?
Urge incontinence is where your bladder muscles are contracting at a time when you feel like you urgently need to go to the toilet. This can cause your urethra to spasm, and if the bladder muscles are not quite strong enough, urine can begin to leak out. There are various symptoms of stress incontinence, and you may find that you are suffering from urine leakage when:
- Walking
- Exercising
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Running
- When you stand for too long
- During pregnancy
- During intercourse
- When lifting a heavy object
What causes stress incontinence?
As you can see from the symptoms, there are different times and ways in which stress incontinence can manifest, and there are many different reasons why you might be suffering from stress incontinence. It can be hard to think ‘why am I wetting myself?’ but there could be a few common reasons why.
Pregnancy – Many pregnant women experience stress incontinence at some point during their pregnancy, as this can affect and interfere with the normal functions of the urethra.
Prostate surgery – Men who have undergone prostate surgery sometimes report a degree of stress incontinence for the months and years after surgery, as it can damage the nerves and bladder muscles.
Chronic coughing and sneezing – If you suffer from a chronic illness that causes plenty of sneezing and coughing this can put constant pressure on the urethra and cause stress incontinence.
High impact activities–Some high-intensity workouts can cause chaos with your bladder muscles, with box jumps and deadlifts two of the biggest causes of bladder weakness as a result of high-intensity workouts.
Age – Naturally, as we get older our muscles begin to weaken and fail to perform in the same way they did when we were younger. This is the same for the bladder muscles, and once weakened you might experience slight stress incontinence as a result.
What can I do about stress incontinence?
There is some amazing help from the NHS for stress incontinence, so always speak to a medical professional in the first instance. They can advise on potential treatments, exercises and point you in the right direction for incontinence products that can support you in effectively managing the condition.
