Table of Contents
Stress Incontinence
The primary symptom of stress incontinence is leakage due to activities that apply pressure to a full bladder. High-impact exercise poses the greatest risk for leaking. But stress incontinence can occur with even minor activities, such as:
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Laughing
- Running (sometimes even standing can produce leakage)
- Lifting
Leakage stops when the stress ends. If the leakage persists, it is more likely to be urge incontinence.
Causes of Stress Incontinence in Women
Stress incontinence occurs because the internal sphincter does not close completely. In both men and women, the aging process causes a general weakening of the sphincter muscles and a decrease in bladder capacity. Causes of stress incontinence, however, may differ between men and women.
In women, stress incontinence is nearly always due to one or both of the following:
- Urethral hypermobility
- Intrinsic sphincteric deficiency
Many women are prone to one or both of these problems, which can occur under the following circumstances:
- Having had many children through vaginal deliveries. In such cases, pregnancy and childbirth strain the muscles of the pelvic floor. Prolapsed uterus, in which the uterus protrudes into the vagina, occurs in about half of all women who have given birth. This condition can often cause incontinence.
- Menopause. Estrogen deficiencies after menopause can cause the urethra to thin out so that it may not close properly.
- Injury from surgery or radiation
Urethral Hypermobility. In urethral hypermobility the urethra does not close properly, allowing it to move too much (hypermobile). This condition typically occurs when the pelvic floor muscles in women become weak, and the following events occur:
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Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
