Incontinence in Women

Urinary Incontinence in Women, Urinary Tract Infections, Stress Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence in Women

The female anatomy. The biological function of women. Perhaps this is why incontinence, the accidental loss of urine, occurs twice as much in women. While aging, nerve damage and other disorders affect men and women near equal, there are some strictly female incontinence issues. In this article, we will discuss those issues affecting women- what causes urinary incontinence, how it can be treated and where to get support.

The most common form of Incontinence in women is stress incontinence, which is temporary and treatable. This usually results from problems with muscles that help to hold or release urine. And, the ever-so-changing female body causes these muscle problems:

Pregnancy

When pregnant women have ultrasounds early in their pregnancies, they are told to have full bladders. This is so the bladder puts more pressure on the uterus so the fetus us easier to see. Later in pregnancy the bladder does not need to be full since the baby has grown. But, this information is given here to show you how close the bladder is and how the pregnancy can affect the bladder. The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and when these muscles are weakened, the bladder pushes down toward the vagina. When this happens, the normal muscles that squeeze the urethra tight are not be used as effectively. So, something like pregnancy added weight from the baby and placenta can cause this leakage. It should clear up after childbirth.

Childbirth

Everybody loves babies. But, it’s no secret that there’s going to be stretching and pulling during a vaginal delivery. The stress of childbirth does weaken the pelvic floor muscles, as well as causes nerve damage to the pelvic area. This could lead to acute incontinence. In some cases, women giving birth may need to have an episiotomy (cutting tissue) to make the birth canal bigger to prevent tearing during delivery. (The tearing could actually cause damage to the sphincter muscle, which results in another kind of incontinence.) This procedure can also cause incontinence. Within in six weeks, the incontinence should go away on its own.

Hysterectomy

This surgery to prevent a woman from getting pregnant again can also weaken pelvic floor muscles.

Menopause

A woman’s menstrual cycle can actually cause incontinence. Stress incontinence could worsen the week before your menstrual period. This is because the lowered estrogen levels could lead to lower muscular pressure around the urethra, which heightens the chance of leakage. This hormonal dip is why stress incontinence cases increase in women following menopause. In this case, incontinence may become more persistence since the hormone levels will not return. However, there are many things a woman can do to treat this incontinence.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are more frequent in women. And because of that, women are more at-risk for a symptom of UTI- incontinence

Living with Incontinence

In cases of acute incontinence time is likely to cure the accidental leakage of urine. But thanks to biotechnology, there are many things that women can use to minimize any embarrassing accidents until it goes away. While external catheters (like a condom) were created with men in mind, new versions have been created just for you! They are comfortable to wear and easy to use. Some other devices or physical activities that can help are:

• Absorbent products (pads or adult diapers)
• Kegel exercise (pelvic exercises)
• Setting up a schedule to urinate (in 2-3 hours intervals)
• Medication

Professional Help

There may be a little-known medical professional that can help you with this special and delicate need. Your OBGYN may be able to refer you to a urogynecologist, a specialist who treats female bladder and urine problems.

The one thing to remember is that incontinence is more common than you may think, so you have nothing to be ashamed of. There is an outpouring of support and resources available to help you with the answers you are looking for.