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Urinary Incontinence: How Does It Affect Females?

by Joseph

Urinary incontinence in women is also called female incontinence, an accidental loss of urine. More than 25 million adult people experience temporary or CUI (Chronic Urinary Incontinence) conditions, occurring at any age. Yet, it is more common in women than 40 years old. There are 4 types of urinary incontinence:

  • urgency
  • stress
  • functional
  • overflow

Some treatments for this condition are:

  • Behavioral therapies
  • Medications
  • Nerve stimulation
  • Surgery

These are one of the treatments available to manage urinary incontinence.

What does urinary incontinence mean?

Urinary incontinence ranges from the discomfort of slight to a severe loss of the urine, which is regular wetting.

What are the causes?

Urinary incontinence is not an unavoidable aging result but is particularly common in older people. It is caused by specific changes in body function resulting from disease, the onset of an illness, and the use of medications. Sometimes, it is the initial and only symptom of a urinary tract infection. Women most likely develop urinary incontinence while pregnant and after childbirth or after the hormonal menopause changes.

Types of urinary incontinence

Some of the different types of urinary incontinence can be learned here:

  • Stress incontinence. Leakage of urine while exercising, coughing, laughing, sneezing, exercising, performing other body movements, or lifting heavy objects putting pressure on the bladder.
  • Urgency incontinence. It is the inability to hold urine until reaching the restroom. It is associated with urine often and feeling a sudden urge to urinate. The condition can be separated and also an indication of other conditions or diseases that warrant medical attention.
  • Functional incontinence. It is urine leakage due to the difficulty of reaching the restroom in time due to physical conditions, such as injury, arthritis, or other disabilities.
  • Overflow incontinence. Leakage may occur when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the capacity of the bladder to hold it.

Symptoms of urinary incontinence

There are common symptoms of urinary incontinence. But, each individual experiences symptoms differently. The symptoms may include:

  1. Need to rush to the restroom or lose urine when not getting to the restroom in time.
  2. Urine leakage with exercise and movements
  3. Urine leakage that prevents activities
  4. Urine leakage from laughing, coughing, or sneezing
  5. Urine leakage that starts or continues after a surgery
  6. Urine leakage causing embarrassment
  7. Constant feeling of wetness without urine leakage sensation
  8. The feeling of insufficient bladder emptying

The urinary incontinence symptoms may resemble other medical problems or conditions. Always consult with the doctor for diagnosis and possible treatment.