You are in good company since the American Academy of Physicians (AAP) found that 50% of women between the gas of 40 to 60y and almost 75% of women over the age of 75 suffer from loss of urine.    There’s more. It’s thought these statistics low ball the true numbers since urinary incontinence is “underreported”.  In fact, the AAP also found that 50% of women who suffer from incontinence do not report these humiliating symptoms to their doctors. And to no one’s surprise, stress incontinence affects twice as many women as it does men.

Loss of urine also known as incontinence can be classified as stress or urge incontinence.

Urinary incontinence occurs when you actually lose urine.  The term “stress” incontinence happens during coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, lifting anything heavy, walking, standing up, getting out of the car or having sex.  Any activity that increases abdominal pressure can bring about stress incontinence especially if your bladder is full.  The tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body is called the urethra which can weaken over time and with common life trauma. 

When a woman experiences stress incontinence it makes her feel embarrassed and isolated, often limiting activities that brings on exercises or typical daily activities.  Personal distress can be overwhelming for women affecting social activities and sexual intimacy. Women suffering with urinary often have to wear pads and diapers which is not only humiliating but also causes a perpetual “diaper rash” on the vulva of the vagina.

Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles have been weakened during child birth, obesity, chronic coughing, sneezing, lifting, constipation and high impact exercises over time.  The aging process, vaginal deliveries, obesity and women undergoing hysterectomies are more prone to stress incontinence.  You can even inherit urinary incontinence from Aunt Selma!

“Urge” incontinence is when you lose urine unintentionally unrelated to an activity you may be doing. Stress and urge incontinence can occur together for a group of unlucky women.  Urge incontinence often occurs as a result of an overactive bladder.

What lifestyle strategies make stress incontinence worse?

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Soda
• Chocolate
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Cigarette smoking 
• Obesity
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Complications of Diabetes 
• Medications causing frequent or excessive urine production

ladder muscle, called the detrusor muscle, which controls the bladder.

What health factors may stress incontinence worsen?

• Urinary Tract Infections
• Obesity
• Frequent Coughing
• Medications that increase urine production
• Nerve Damage or excessive urination from diabetes

Lack of Treatment

Urinary Stress incontinence is typically treatable. Due to shame and embarrassment, urinary incontinence is not discussed enough, by the patient or healthcare provider. It’s time to empower yourself to find solutions for a much-needed problem.