URINARY STRESS INCONTINENCE
“Stress incontinence affects around 1/3 of women…”
The Causes
Stress Incontinence is often caused by physical changes resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and the menopause. It is the most common form of incontinence in women but thanks to products like IncoStress, is entirely treatable.
The Biology
Stress incontinence is usually caused by changes to the urethra, which is the tube which passes urine out from the bladder. It normally maintains a tight seal to prevent involuntary loss of urine and is helped by the pelvic floor muscles which support the bladder. If these muscles weaken, your bladder can move downward, pushing slightly out of the bottom of the pelvis toward the vagina.
The Triggers
For women with stress urinary incontinence, a weakened pelvic muscle floor or a defect in the urethra means the body is unable to support the urethra in its correct position. This prevents muscles that ordinarily force the urethra shut from squeezing as tightly as they should. As a result, urine can leak into the urethra during moments of physical stress such as coughing, laughing, sneezing or other movements.
Other Causes
Stress incontinence can also occur if the muscles that do the squeezing weaken. The problem is especially noticeable when you let your bladder get too full and can worsen during the week before your menstrual period.
Stress Incontinence Physiology
An increase in intra-abdominal pressure during laughing, coughing, sneezing, getting up from a chair, picking up shopping) increases pressure within the bladder which then exceeds the urethra’s resistance to urinary flow. Leakage then reduces or stops when bladder pressure again falls below urethral pressure.
Urethra
The urethra is the tube (approx length 3-5cm in women and 13cm in men), which allows urine to pass from the bladder of of the body. It normally maintains a tight seal thanks to the internal and external sphincter muscles, that prevent involuntary loss of urine.
If coughing, laughing, sneezing or other movements, which place pressure onto the bladder cause you to leak urine, you may have stress incontinence. The problem is especially noticeable when you let your bladder get too full. Physical changes resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause can often cause stress incontinence. It is the most common form of incontinence in women and is treatable.
Pelvic floor muscles support your bladder. If these muscles weaken, your bladder can move downward, pushing slightly out of the bottom of the pelvis toward the vagina. This prevents muscles that ordinarily force the urethra shut from squeezing as tightly as they should. As a result, urine can leak into the urethra during moments of physical stress. Stress incontinence also occurs if the muscles that do the squeezing weaken.
Stress incontinence can worsen during the week before your menstrual period. At that time, lowered oestrogen levels might lead to lower muscular pressure around the urethra, increasing chances of leakage. The incidence of stress incontinence increases following menopause.
The major cause of stress incontinence is urethral hyper mobility due to impaired support from pelvic floor. A less common cause is an intrinsic sphincter deficiency, usually secondary to pelvic surgeries.
