WHAT IS STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE?

What Causes Stress Urinary Incontinence?

There are several causes for Stress Urinary Incontinence, these include:

Hormonal Changes

During the week before your menstrual cycle, estrogen levels fall, causing symptoms of stress urinary incontinence to worsen. Additionally, as a woman goes through menopause, estrogen levels also fall causing the pelvic floor muscles to weaken. This results in less muscular pressure around the urethra, making stress urinary incontinence more likely.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you may experience stress urinary incontinence due to hormonal changes and the enlarging size of the uterus. During pregnancy, estrogen levels are lower, leading to less muscular strength in the sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, as the fetus grows extra weight is placed on your bladder.

Childbirth

Vaginal delivery can damage your pelvic floor muscles making urine leakage more likely. The supporting tissues of your bladder can also be damaged during vaginal delivery causing a cystocele, or prolapse of your bladder, symptoms of which include urinary incontinence. You may not know you have suffered damage to your pelvic floor until after you have gone through menopause, when the pelvic floor muscles are further weakened due to a fall in estrogen levels.

Hysterectomy and Other Surgery

The bladder and uterus are very close together and have common supporting ligaments and muscles. Surgery to, or removal of your uterus as in a hysterectomy, risks damage to the supporting structures of your bladder. If these supporting structures are damaged, a cystocele is likely to occur. Symptoms of a cystocele include urinary incontinence.

Illnesses

When you are ill and suffering from severe coughing, the pelvic floor muscles may fatigue and allow temporary stress incontinence due to an increase in abdominal pressure experienced while coughing.

Obesity

Obesity can increase the abdominal pressure on the bladder leading to urinary incontinence.

Bladder Cancer or Bladder Stones

Symptoms of bladder cancer or bladder stones include urinary incontinence, urgency, frequency, and painful urination. Other symptoms include blood in the urine and pelvic pain.

Neurological Damage

Any neurological disorder such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or stroke can cause urinary incontinence by interfering with the nerve signals that control your bladder. Additionally, if the nerves that supply your bladder or pelvic floor muscles are damaged, urinary incontinence may also result.

Next Steps

Stress Urinary Incontinence can cause embarrassment, fear, anxiety, and social isolation. So it’s important to take steps to address the problem. Seeking treatment from a trained Pelvic Health Physiotherapist can help with the problem and can also improve self-esteem and restore confidence.