Trouble Down Under? Female Urinary Incontinence — It's More Common Than You May Think

You’re not alone if you’re nervous about leaving the house because of unexpected urine leaks. About 50% of American women live with the challenges of female urinary incontinence.

At Salem Women’s Clinic, Inc., our skilled medical team offers personalized treatment plans for female urinary incontinence. The providers recommend lifestyle and medication strategies you can use to reduce the frequency and urgency of urination.

Overview of female urinary incontinence

Female urinary incontinence describes the loss of bladder control. In women, this condition can result from weakness in the pelvic floor muscles that hold your bladder in place. Weak muscles can’t support the bladder, and pressure from a laugh, sneeze, or cough can cause urine to leak out.

You may also have urge incontinence due to an overactive bladder that occurs when there’s dysfunction in the nerves controlling your bladder. Urge incontinence causes strong urination urges that come on suddenly, making it difficult for you to get to the bathroom in time.

Another type of urinary incontinence occurs when you can’t fully empty your bladder during urination. The remaining urine can leak unexpectedly, especially when you put pressure on your bladder.

Why you might have female urinary incontinence

Pelvic floor muscles become weaker as you get older due to biological changes affecting the health of your soft tissues. You may also experience urinary incontinence at an older age when your pelvic floor muscles become stretched by pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.

Other risk factors for female urinary incontinence include:

Obesity
Diabetes
Smoking
Family history

Hormone changes in pregnancy and menopause can also affect the strength of your muscles and increase your risk for urinary incontinence.

Getting the help you deserve

Occasional urine leaks may be manageable with strategies like using the bathroom regularly and wearing protective pads when you go out.

If you have frequent or severe urine leaks or can’t get to the bathroom in time, Salem Women’s Clinic can get you the help you deserve. Our providers offer comprehensive diagnostic evaluations to identify the source of your urine leaks and the type of urinary incontinence.

Based on your test results, we provide a plan to reduce the frequency and urgency of urination. Your treatment plan may include the following:

Pelvic floor exercises

Women of all ages can benefit from pelvic floor exercises that strengthen the muscles supporting their bladder. These exercises involve repeatedly tightening the muscles you use to control urine flow.

Weight loss

Excess weight puts additional stress on your bladder. Our team can recommend lifestyle and diet changes you can make to lose weight safely. Our medically supervised weight loss programs also provide resources to help you keep the weight off for good.