• Leaking urine when coughing,
sneezing, lifting, dancing, walking down the stairs, playing
sport etc.
If you answer yes to any of the questions
below you should discuss your symptoms with your local GP or
nurse, so they can ensure you get the treatment you need.
Question 1: Do
you experience a loss of urine when you are doing physical
activities, such as lifting heavy objects or exercising?
Question 2: Do
you sometimes have a slight loss of urine when you sneeze,
cough, or laugh?
Causes of stress incontinence
The support muscles around your urethra,
which is the outlet passage from the bladder, keeps the urine
in your bladder from escaping. When these muscles become weak,
even the small amount of stress created by everyday activities
may cause a small amount of urine to pass.
In women, stress incontinence often occurs after pregnancy
or menopause. In recent mothers this is because muscles have
been stretched and in postmenopausal females because of a lack
of oestrogen. In men stress incontinence can occur after prostate
surgery.
