You’ve probably at some point laughed so hard you either thought you were going to wet yourself or it actually happened. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) can happen when we exercise, sneeze, laugh or cough. In more severe cases, it can happen even when walking, standing up or bending over.
Or, you felt anxious or afraid and had the same feeling. These “accidents” can range from a few drops of urine to enough to soak through your clothes.
Both physical and emotional stress can contribute to SUI, which is when you leak urine because of sudden pressure on the bladder and urethra, which causes your sphincter muscles to briefly open.
If You Suffer From SUI, You’re Far From Alone
SUI is a common bladder problem in women, but less so in men.
Approximately 25% to 33% of American women deal with urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence increases with age, and about one in three women suffer with SUI at some point. More than half of women with SUI also have Overactive Bladder (OAB).
About 33% of women age 60 find that they sometimes leak urine.
Almost 50% of women age 65 and above say they sometimes leak urine.
Men with urine leakage more often have OAB rather than SUI. Prostate cancer surgery, pelvic nerve injury or damage are the usual causes of SUI in men.
What are the Symptoms of SUI?
Urine leaking during any activity that increases pressure on the abdomen is the key symptom of SUI. With mild SUI, you will leak during forceful activities such as exercise, and also when you sneeze, laugh, cough or lift something heavy. Moderate or more severe forms mean you may also leak when you stand up or bend over.
How SUI Can Affect Your Life
SUI gets in the way of daily and social activities, and it can affect both your family and sexual relationships. You may be embarrassed, which can cause you to feel isolated.
But there’s no need to feel hopeless. There are many ways to manage and treat SUI – so it’s important to let your doctor know what’s going on so they can help.
Has leaking urine or the fear of leaking urine:
Kept you from doing things outside of your home?
Caused you to be afraid to be too far from a bathroom or a change of clothes?
Stopped you from exercising or playing sports?
Changed the way you live because you're afraid of leaks?
Made you uncomfortable with yourself and your body?
Changed your relationships with friends or family?
Made you avoid sex because you are worried that you will leak urine and be embarrassed?
Answering yes to any or all of these questions means it's time to talk to your doctor.
The Causes of SUI
SUI happens because of a stretched, weakened or damaged pelvic floor; the pelvic floor supports the bladder and urethra. Problems can be caused by pregnancy and childbirth, chronic coughing, nerve injuries to the lower back or pelvic surgery.
While SUI impacts older women most often, it’s not caused by aging or by being female. It happens in younger women as well as some men. There are a number of risk factors, which include:
Gender: females are more likely to get SUI
Pregnancy and childbirth
Overweight/obese
Smoking
Chronic coughing
Nerve injuries to the lower back
Pelvic or prostate surgery
Mental Stress Can Cause SUI
When you’re afraid or anxious, your body goes into fight or flight mode, and there’s evidence that the adrenaline rush you get triggers the need to pee.
It’s part of the mind/body connection; there’s a link between what’s going on in your brain and what happens in your body.
SUI and Mental Health
Anxiety and depression have been found in many patients with incontinence. The question: did the mental health problems cause incontinence, or did the incontinence cause mental health problems?
The answer? Anxiety and incontinence interact and make each other worse. And, anxiety is a definite risk factor for developing incontinence. And the same is true with other mental health issues like depression. Also, those with pelvic floor disorders are three times more likely to be depressed.
What You Can Do About SUI
The first step, of course, is talk to your doctor. And don’t be embarrassed. Be honest – doctors see all sorts of things every day and there’s no need to be shy.
There are also things you can do on your own:
Use absorbent pads These pads come in different sizes and styles. Some are like menstrual pads that go into your underwear, and others are pull-on briefs.
Kegel exercises help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Do Kegels by squeezing and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles many times each day. Exercising these muscles can make them stronger and help reduce or eliminate your SUI symptoms. To get the most benefit, do these exercises every day.
To make sure you perform these exercises correctly, your doctor may order physical therapy. Doing these exercises correctly is vital. If they’re not done properly, they could make your pelvic floor problems worse.
Don’t become constipated. Eat high fiber foods and drink 6 to 8 glasses of water and exercise daily.
Maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight or obese, you’re more likely to develop SUI, and many find that losing just 10 lbs. makes a difference in the number of leaks.
Bladder Training. To start, keep a bladder diary. Record:
How much you drink
When you urinate
When leaks occur.
Your diary shows you and your doctor how often you urinate now and whether bladder training can help you. With bladder training, your doctor may ask you to follow a fixed urination schedule.
You may be asked to lengthen the time between bathroom visits. But don’t try this unless your doctor suggests it – some people have more leaks when they wait too long to go to the bathroom.
Quit Smoking. Everyone should quit smoking, but for those with SUI, a chronic cough from smoking may increase the frequency and severity of leaks and cause added strain to the pelvic floor.
Keep tabs on your mental health. If you’re anxious or depressed, whether you have SUI or not, talk to your doctor for a recommendation to a mental health professional.
Devices and Surgeries for SUI
There are devices and surgeries that can be used to control or alleviate SUI, so discuss the options with your doctor.
Don’t Suffer With SUI. Norman Urology Can Help.
There’s no need to suffer needlessly, either physically or mentally. Whether you’re suffering from incontinence or SUI, or just want more advice to keep both your bladder healthy and your pelvic floor fit and healthy, Norman Urology has the answers and the most current treatments. And you can count on superior, specialized care from experienced, compassionate professionals.
Reach out to us today to schedule an appointment. We can’t wait to meet you!