Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the accidental leakage of urine. It affects up to one in three women at some point in their lives, although it is more common after the menopausedue to lack of oestrogen, which can thin the tissues supporting bladder control. Obesity increases the risk due to increased pressure on the bladder. Urinary tract infections can cause temporary urinary incontinence. There are two types of incontinence:

Stress incontinence occurs during coughing, laughing, exercise and sneezing. The urethra, which leads from your bladder to the outside, is unable to stay closed in response to increased pressure inside the tummy, resulting in leakage of urine. This is the most common type of incontinence in women, and is improved by weight loss and exercising the pelvic floor muscles. If this does not help, specialist help from a pelvic floor physiotherapist can improve symptoms. Some women go on to require surgery to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles surrounding the bladder; the most common procedure for stress incontinence in women is the transvaginal tape (TVT).

Urge incontinence when you have a sudden urge and often cannot reach the toilet in time. It is caused by an overactive bladder wall muscle; this muscle is called detrusor. This condition is also known as detrusor overactivity, or overactive bladder. It is also more common after themenopause, and the cause is unknown. Frequent urinary tract infections can irritate the bladder and make the symptoms worse.

Treatment includes life style changes such as exercises and diet, bladder training and medication to calm the bladder muscle. If all of these measures fail to help, surgical procedures may be offered.

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