All that Stress – Stress Incontinence

All that Stress – Stress Incontinence

By Taikhum Sadiq

Stress incontinence is also known as stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or effort incontinence which is a type of urinary incontinence. It takes place due to the insufficient strength of the closure of the urinary bladder.

It can also be referred to as the small loss of urine because of coughing, laughing, sneezing, exercising or other movements that increase the intra-abdominal pressure near the pelvic muscles and thus increase pressure on the bladder. The urethra is supported by the fascia of the pelvic floor. If this support is not strong enough, the urethra can move downward when pressure is applied at the abdominal region, allowing urine to pass through.

In Men

Stress incontinence is rare in men as they do not go through some of the experiences of life that change or periodically alter the abdominal region of a person. The most common cause in men is as a post-surgical complication following a prostatectomy or any other surgical procedure.

In Women

Many physical changes result due to pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause which often contribute to stress incontinence. Stress incontinence can worsen during, before, or after the week of the menstrual period. During that time, lowered estrogen levels may lead to decreased muscular pressure around the urethra, which increases the chances of a leakage. The occurrences of stress incontinence increases following menopause, similarly because of the lowered estrogen levels. In female high-level athletes, stress incontinence occurs in most of the sports involving abrupt continuous increases in intra-abdominal pressure.

 

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