This year I got struck with Hay fever and a nasty case of cough. After a couple of days of heavy coughing where I was sure any minute a lung would come flying out, something…er…interesting happened. During a fit of coughing, I completely lost my bladder. At first I thought it was just the result of a particularly wracking coughing spell, but for the next few days, every time I coughed, bam! I peed my pants
This is very common and is a result of weak pelvic floor muscle
Pelvic floor weakness happens due to:
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Obesity
- Constipation
- Medication
The Basics: Urinary Incontinence 101
When you urinate, the muscles in your bladder tighten, pushing the urine out through a tube called the urethra. Usually, a muscle called the sphincter also tightens so the urine doesn’t leak.
- 5 Types of Urinary Incontinences tress incontinence: When pressure on your bladder from everyday actions, such as coughing or laughing, causes you to leak urine.
- Urge incontinence: When you feel a strong and sudden urge to urinate or the need to urinate often — both of which may cause a urine leak.
- Overflow incontinence: When you have frequent but small urine leaks caused by not emptying your bladder completely
- Functional incontinence: When you have a physical or mental impairment that makes it more difficult to get to the toilet in time.
- Mixed incontinence: When you have more than one type of urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence can happen to anyone, but it’s especially common as you age.
While urinary incontinence is a physical problem, it can also affect you emotionally, psychologically, and socially. Normal activities, such as running errands or walking the dog, can cause anxiety, and the desire to stay close to the toilet can keep you from going about your daily life.
But just because urinary incontinence is common, it doesn’t mean you have to live with it.
By talking to your GP, getting diagnosed, and receiving treatment, you can begin to feel like yourself again.
The constant need to use the bathroom shouldn’t bring you anxiety. You should be able to go out to dinner, take a road trip, or go to your favorite exercise class without worrying about how you’ll get to the nearest bathroom or if you’ll leak urine.
Urinary incontinence may be a little embarrassing — and sometimes annoying. However, by finding the right treatment, you can go about your daily life without always looking for the nearest bathroom.
Still have questions about urinary incontinence? Call 8001 7170 to make an appointment with a pelvic floor physiotherapist.