Urinary Incontinence in Women: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology | Oct 23, 2024

Urinary incontinence is a very common condition in today's world and can be a reason for a number of factors that we tend to overlook in our day-to-day lives. It basically refers to the loss of bladder control or urine leak during regular physical activities such as sneezing, exercising, coughing, laughing, and so on, and even the complete inability to control the urge to urinate. Here, we will discuss urinary incontinence in women, its symptoms, causes, and treatment.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence can be defined as the loss of bladder control, often a common and quite embarrassing problem. The severity of this ailment ranges from leaking urine occasionally when you either cough or sneeze to having an extreme urge to urinate that's so sudden and intense that you get to a toilet at times.

Although it occurs more often with growing age, urinary incontinence is not an inevitable outcome of ageing. In case urinary incontinence affects your day-to-day activities, you shouldn't hesitate to consult with a healthcare professional. For most people, leading a simple lifestyle and carrying out required dietary changes or medical attention can treat the symptoms of urinary incontinence.

Most women experience occasional, minor leaks of urine while coughing or sneezing, while others may lose small to moderate amounts of urine more frequently. It is very important to seek medical advice as urinary incontinence may:

• Negatively impact the quality of your life.
• Indicate a more serious underlying condition.
• Increase the chances of trips and falls in older adults as they rush to the toilet.
• Cause you to restrict your daily activities and limit your social interactions.

Types of urinary incontinence

The different types of urine incontinence include:

• Stress incontinence: This is when urine leaks whenever you exert pressure on your urinary bladder by laughing, coughing, sneezing, exercising, or lifting weights.
• Urge incontinence: This is when you have a sudden, intense urge to urinate that's followed by an involuntary loss of urine.
• Overflow incontinence: This is when you experience frequent or constant dripping of urine due to a urinary bladder that doesn't empty completely.
• Functional incontinence: This is when a mental or physical impairment, such as rheumatoid arthritis, keeps you from making it to the toilet in time.
• Mixed incontinence: This is when you experience more than one type of urinary incontinence. More often than not, this refers to a combination of urge incontinence and stress incontinence.

Signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence

The signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence are as follows:

• Urine leakage while laughing, coughing, sneezing, exercising, or lifting weights.
• Frequent urge to urinate.
• Incomplete bladder emptying.
• Having a weak or interrupted urine stream.
• Chronic bedwetting, wherein you involuntarily lose urine while sleeping.

Urinary Incontinence in Women

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leak of urine or inability to control bladder in women. It can be the result of a various reasons, such as:

• Chronic cough
• Constipation
• Urinary tract infections
• Weak pelvic floor muscles
• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Menopause
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Nervous issues such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, spinal injury

Temporary urinary incontinence

Certain foods, drinks, and medications can act as diuretics, thereby stimulating your urinary bladder and increasing the volume of urine and cuase urine leak . They include:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners
• Chili peppers
• Chocolate
• Sparkling water
• Carbonated drinks
• Large doses of vitamin C
• Sedatives, heart and blood pressure medicines, and muscle relaxants
• Citrus fruits and foods that are high in spice, sugar, and acid

Urinary incontinence may also be the result of an easily treatable medical condition such as urinary tract infections and constipation.

Persistent urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence may also be a persistent condition that's caused by underlying physical issues or changes, including:

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• Menopause
• Obstructions such as a tumor or urinary stones
• Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, a stroke, a spinal injury, or a brain tumor

Treatment for urinary incontinence

Treatment for urinary incontinence involves - Life style modifications, seeking professional care, physiotherapy and if required surgery

Life style modifications :

This includes avoiding alcohol and caffeine, doing pelvic floor exercises, and wearing absorbent undergarments. Bladder retraining, which involves gradually increasing the time until urination, may also be of substantial help.

Seeking professional care :

You need to see a doctor immediately in case you:

• Suddenly began leaking urine
• Experience additional urinary symptoms and/or
• Are excessively thirsty and need to urinate quite frequently
• Feeling embarrassed or starting to withdraw socially

Common medications that can be used to counter urinary incontinence are as follows:

• Tolterodine
• Fesoterodine
• Trospium
• Darifenacin
• Solifenacin
• Mirabegron
• Oxybutynin
• Antidepressants such as Imipramine

Managing Urinary Incontinence

More often than not, there are changes to your everyday life that can actually help to better your urinary incontinence. These changes usually include saying goodbye to substance abuse, doing exercises to strengthen your pelvic region, and an improved diet.

Lifestyle changes that can help in the management of urinary incontinence are as follows:

• Emptying your urinary bladder on a regular basis and in a timely manner.
• Emptying your urinary bladder before physical activities.
• Avoid lifting heavy objects.
• Regular Kegel exercises are done to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
• Avoid the consumption of caffeine or a lot of any other fluid before starting any activity.
• Wearing pads and other products to catch any leaked urine.
• Practice bladder training to help stretch out the time between each trip to the washroom.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Incontinence

Pelvic floor exercises, or Kegel exercises, can help improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Here are some tips to do Kegel exercises in the right way:

• Identifying your pelvic floor muscles by stopping urination midstream.
• Starting slowly with 3-second holds and 3-second relaxes, and repeating this process ten times.
• Tightening your pelvic floor muscles as if you're trying to lift a marble by sitting on it.
• Avoiding flexing your thighs, abdomen, or buttocks.
• Breathing freely throughout the exercise.
• Doing up to 10 repetitions, 3-5 times each day.

You can start in any position, but remember that it is easier to do Kegel exercises while lying down at first.

Conclusion

Urinary incontinence can be a result of a number of factors and can affect almost anyone. It is important to keep your daily life in check and be away from substance abuse. Although you might feel uncomfortable discussing the issue of urinary incontinence with your doctor, you should visit a experienced healthcare professional if your incontinence is quite frequent or is affecting the overall quality of your life.

If you're looking for the best treatment for your urinary incontinence problems, then we at the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU) are going to be your ideal destination. We at AINU offer sophisticated care with the passion to serve patients in need. We have already set benchmarks by using the best-in-class technologies and equipment. We are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment so as to ensure an evidence-based treatment that is uniquely tailored for different patients. So, if you're suffering from urinary incontinence problems, book an appointment with us today.