RSS feedStress incontinence
Stress incontinence is the most common form of incontinence, affecting approximately three million people in the UK, or 40 per cent of women at some stage in their lives.
Urine leaks when there is sudden extra pressure on the bladder, typically when you cough, laugh, jump or run. This is because the pelvic floor muscles which support the bladder have weakened and cannot cope with extra pressure.
Stress incontinence is rare in men and is usually the result of an injury or the symptoms of an enlarged prostate or Benign prostate enlargement (or BPH).
Symptoms of stress incontinence
The symptom of all stress of incontinence is the leaking of urine, but symptoms will vary in severity. Leaking tends to occur when coughing, laughing, exercising and lifting, but in more severe cases, there may also be leaking when you stand up. Symptoms can worsen during the week before your period, as hormones releases affect the muscles of your pelvic floor.
Symptoms are often very distressing and can have a restrictive impact upon the individual’s daily life.
Causes of stress incontinence
Pregnancy
Carrying the growing weight of the baby puts additional stress on your pelvic floor. At the same time, the hormone relaxin softens the pelvic floor muscles in preparation for childbirth. Around half of pregnant women suffer stress incontinence and symptoms improve after childbirth for many, but some will continue to experience problems.
Childbirth
A vaginal delivery can stretch, damage and bruise the nerves around the pelvic floor and as a result, they may not respond as well as before. It appears that women who have had a tear or episiotomy face a greater risk of developing urinary incontinence.
Smoking
Smoking is linked to stress incontinence because the chronic cough associated with smoking puts pressure on the pelvic floor and exacerbates symptoms vaginal delivery can stretch, damage and bruise the nerves around the pelvic floor and as a result, they may not respond as well as before. It appears that women who have had a tear or episiotomy face a greater risk of developing urinary incontinence.
Menopause
Oestrogen levels are lower which weakens the muscles around your urethra.
Overweight
Being overweight results in increased pressure on your abdomen and pelvic floor.
Hysterectomy
The operation carries a risk of damage to the pelvic floor.
Stress incontinence typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 60, with the risk increasing with age. A women in her fifties is more likely to have a number of the risk factors associated with the condition.
Treatment
There are many effective, established treatments for stress incontinence. In the first place, it is important to establish an accurate diagnosis of the type of incontinence you have, as treatments are different for stress, mixed and urge (overactive bladder) incontinence.
As a specialist clinic, we are experienced in the most advanced treatments for stress incontinence and able to find solutions for the most complex problems, including people who have had previous, unsuccessful treatment. However, only five per cent of women with incontinence will need surgery. Our step-by-step treatment system enables us to find the solution to meet your needs, using the most minimally-invasive approach as possible.
Our step-by-step treatment system enables us to find the solution to meet your needs, using the most minimally-invasive approach as possible. ADD immediately after: for those who have tried more conservative approaches without success, we offer all the established, effective treatments, including urethral bulking agents or implants, transobturator tape and tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), vaginal sling and bladder neck suspension by colposuspension.
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â–¸ Our step-by-step incontinence treatment programme in detail
