Stress
Urinary Incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine that
occurs during physical activity, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing,
or exercise.
Stress
Urinary Incontinence is a bladder storage problem in which
the strength of the urethral sphincter is diminished, and the
sphincter is not able to prevent urine flow when there is increased
pressure from the abdomen.
Stress
Urinary Incontinence may occur as a result of weakened pelvic
muscles that support the bladder and urethra, or because of malfunction
of the urethral sphincter. Prior trauma to the urethral area,
neurological injury, and some medications may weaken the urethra.
Sphincter weakness may occur in men following prostate surgery
or in women after pelvic surgery. Stress
Urinary Incontinence is often seen in women who have had multiple
pregnancies and vaginal childbirths, or who have pelvic prolapse
(protrusion of the bladder, urethra, or rectal wall into the vaginal
space), with cystocele, cystourethrocele, or rectocele.
Studies have documented that about 50% of all women have occasional
urinary incontinence, and as many as 10% have frequent incontinence.
Nearly 20% of women over age 75 experience daily urinary incontinence.
Stress
Urinary Iincontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence
in women. Risk factors for Stress
Urinary Incontinence include female sex, advancing age, childbirth,
smoking, and obesity. Conditions that cause chronic coughing,
such as chronic bronchitis and asthma, may also increase the risk
of Stress
Urinary Incontinence.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The ability to hold urine and maintain continence is dependent
on normal function of the lower urinary tract, the kidneys, and
the nervous system. Additionally, the person must possess the
physical and psychological ability to recognize and appropriately
respond to the urge to urinate.
The process of urination involves two phases: 1) the filling
and storage phase, and 2) the emptying phase. Normally during
the filling and storage phase, the bladder begins to fill with
urine from the kidneys.
The bladder stretches to accommodate the increasing amounts of
urine. The first sensation of the need to urinate occurs when
approximately 200 ml of urine is stored. The healthy nervous system
will respond to this stretching sensation by alerting you to the
need to urinate, while also allowing the bladder to continue to
fill.
The average person can hold approximately 350 to 550 ml of urine.
The ability to fill and store urine properly requires a functional
sphincter muscle, controlling output of urine from the bladder,
and a stable bladder wall muscle (the detrusor muscle).
The emptying phase requires the ability of the detrusor muscle
to appropriately contract to force urine out of the bladder. Additionally,
the body must also be able to simultaneously relax the sphincter
to allow the urine to pass out of the body.
Symptoms for Stress
Urinary Incontinence:
Loss of urine is a symptom that occurs when:
Coughing
Sneezing
Standing
Exercising
During other physical activity
