Do you cross your legs when you sneeze? Do you need to run to the toilet in a manner that has you breaking land speed records? Do you actively avoid the trampoline park with the kids out of sheer terror that your undies will fall victim to an uninvited waterworks show?
Dramatic? Yes!
Signs of incontinence? Yes!
Incontinence refers to the involuntary loss of control over urination or defecation. It can occur in both men and women and can range from occasional leaks to complete loss of bladder or bowel control. There are multiple types of incontinence:
- Stress incontinence. This is when urine leakage occurs with activities that increase pressure in the abdomen and push down on the bladder – coughing, sneezing, laughing, and jumping. Stress urinary incontinence is often due to weakness and/or increased laxity of the pelvic floor muscles. This can occur naturally with aging and is also common after pregnancies, births and menopause.
- Urge incontinence. This is also known as an overactive bladder. Urge incontinence involves a sudden and intense urge to urinate, often followed by an involuntary loss of urine before reaching the toilet.
- Overflow incontinence. This is when the bladder is unable to empty properly and frequent leakage of small amounts of urine occurs as a result. Signs of overflow Incontinence can be straining to urinate, slow urine stream/flow, regular urinary tract infection or urinary frequency.
- Functional incontinence. This is a physical or mental impairment that keeps you from making it to the toilet in time. For example, if you have severe arthritis, you may not be able to unbutton your pants quickly enough.
- Mixed incontinence. Some people experience a combination of different types of incontinence, such as stress and urge incontinence.
Incontinence can be caused by various factors with the most common being a weak pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and tissues that form a supportive hammock-like structure at the base of the pelvis. It plays a crucial role in supporting the organs in the pelvis, including the bladder! Normally, these muscles contract and relax in coordination to support pelvic organs and maintain continence. However when you have a weak pelvic floor, the muscles aren’t able to work effectively and this is then linked to that pesky leakage!
Good news? PELVIC FLOOR HEALTH CAN BE IMPROVED! Much like the other muscle groups in the body, your Pelvic Floor Muscles are no exception and can be “worked out” and strengthened. Incredible technology such as Emsella exists and operates for this very reason.
Reference: Tran LN, Puckett Y. Urinary Incontinence. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559095/
