Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence happens occurs when physical movement causes bladder leakage.

Stress incontinence occurs when urine leaks out of the bladder during certain strenuous activities such as laughing, sneezing, jogging or heavy lifting. These activities put additional pressure on your bladder, causing urine leakage.

If you have stress incontinence, you may be caught off guard and feel embarrassed, causing you to isolate yourself, or limit your work and social life. You may also avoid physical and leisure activities. Treatment can help manage stress incontinence and improve your overall well-being.

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Stress Incontinence Symptoms

Activities that may cause you to leak urine include:

  • Coughing or sneezing
  • Laughing
  • Heavy lifting
  • High impact activities such as jumping and jogging

You may not experience incontinence every time you do one of these things, but any activity that increases pressure on your bladder can make you more vulnerable to leakage, particularly when your bladder is full.

Causes of Stress Incontinence

Weakening of muscles and other tissues that support the pelvic floor muscles can cause stress incontinence. Anything that exerts force on the abdominal and pelvic muscles such as sneezing, bending over, lifting or laughing hard, can put pressure on your bladder and cause urine leakage.

The risk of developing stress incontinence increase due to:

  • Age – Physical changes such as weakening of muscles
  • Childbirth – Women who’ve had a vaginal delivery or a forceps delivery  are more likely to develop urinary incontinence.
  • Obesity – Being overweight or obese can be a risk factor as excess weight increases pressure on the abdominal and pelvic organs.
  • Hysterectomy – Hysterectomies can weaken the muscles that support the bladder and urethra, increasing the risk of stress incontinence.

Treatment for Stress Incontinence

There are surgical and non-surgical options to treat incontinence. Some stress incontinence treatment options include:

  • Minimally-invasive surgical procedures
  • O-Shot, a nonsurgical, in-office treatment option
  • Changes to diet and fitness lifestyle
  • Physical Therapy
  • Medications

Our Doctors Can Help

Our double board-certified urogynecologists are pelvic health experts and will work with you to determine the best treatment plan for you based on your particular issues and the severity of your symptoms. Call us 770.721.6060 or request an appointment online.