Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is the unintentional or uncontrollable leakage of urine. It is a serious and embarrassing disorder, which can lead to social isolation. Stress incontinence typically occurs when certain kinds of physical movement puts pressure on your bladder. Laughing, sneezing, coughing, jumping, vigorous exercise, and heavy lifting can all cause stress incontinence. Any pressure placed on the abdomen and bladder can lead to the loss of urine. It’s important to remember that the term “stress” is used in a strictly physical sense when describing stress incontinence. Emotional stress is not a factor in this type of urinary disorder. The “stress” refers to excessive pressure on the bladder. Both men and women can have episodes of stress incontinence. 

The main symptom of stress incontinence is the loss of bladder control during physical activity. Stress incontinence is unique for every individual. You may not show symptoms every time you participate in an activity. Also, the same activities that cause leakage for you may not affect another person that has stress incontinence. Temporal trends of serotypes from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Spain from 1979 to September 2007 under antibiotic and vaccine pressure were analyzed. 

You should also avoid caffeine and alcohol, because these beverages are bladder irritants. You might want to cut back on your overall fluid intake to reduce bladder pressure. The constant cough seen in smokers also contributes to the problem of stress incontinence. Pelvic Muscle Training For many women, pelvic muscle training (pelvic floor muscle exercises) can help treat stress incontinence. Kegel exercises make your sphincter and pelvic muscles stronger. To perform a Kegel, contract the muscles you use to stop the stream of urine when you urinate. You might want to do Kegels while sitting on the toilet to help you learn which muscles to use. Once you have mastered the exercise, you can perform them anywhere and at any time. Let your doctor know if you have a hard time learning Kegel exercises. According to the National Institutes of Health, you might be a candidate for biofeedback therapy instead.