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Stress UI

Plenty of Causes

Stress incontinence (SUI) is the most prevalent form of incontinence and it affects an estimated 15 million adult women in the U.S.*

Stress incontinence is caused by damage to or weakening of the muscles of the pelvic floor that support the proper alignment of the bladder. Vaginal childbirth, for example, can weaken the section of the vaginal wall that lies beneath the urethra and provides its main support. As a result, this condition, known as sphincteric deficiency, accounts for the largest number of cases of stress incontinence among women who have given birth. The second leading cause of SUI is the thinning or weakening of the walls of the urethra, which in turn compromises the urethral sphincter muscle, or the muscle that closes the urethra. Like a faulty valve, a compromised urethral sphincter does not contract as tightly or as snugly as it should, and urine can leak out.

The leakage-and treatment-for both types of SUI vary. If you suffer from a sphincteric deficiency you may have a gush of urine if you cough or laugh; if your urethral sphincter muscle is week you may experience squirts of urine when you cough or with minimal exertion, such as taking a slow walk.

Both types of SUI can be triggered by ordinary physical events, such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting a baby or going for a jog. It can also be caused by any movement that puts undue or sudden pressure on the bladder, like lifting something heavy, running, or having sex.

The myths surrounding stress incontinence are countless, and many women with SUI suffer in silence. Incontinence is not "a normal part of aging," and it has nothing to do with the old wives' tales of drinking too much water or engaging in too much sex. Incredibly, for all of the discomfort that SUI produces, only a small percentage of women seek help for this condition.

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