Midlands
Shockwave
- Men's Health -
Is the unintentional passing of urine which is a common problem affecting millions of people?
There are several types of urinary incontinence, including:
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Stress incontinence - when urine leaks out at times when your bladder is under pressure; for example, when you cough or laugh.
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Urge incontinence - when urine leaks as you feel a sudden, intense urge to pee, or soon afterwards.
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Overflow incontinence (chronic urinary retention) - when you're unable to fully empty your bladder, which causes frequent leaking.
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Total incontinence - when your bladder cannot store any urine at all, which causes you to pass urine constantly or have frequent leaking.
It's also possible to have a mixture of both stress and urge urinary incontinence.
Stress Incontinence Causes
Women aged over the age of 40 are the most likely to be affected by stress incontinence, although the condition affects men also and can develop at an earlier age.
Risk factors include:
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Pregnancy, Vaginal birth delivery - Often, symptoms can improve with simple measures such as pelvic floor exercises and lifestyle modifications, but for some women, the problem will persist.
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Childbirth - a vaginal delivery can stretch, damage and bruise the nerves around the pelvic floor and as a result, they may not respond as well as before. It appears that women who have had a tear or episiotomy face a greater risk of developing urinary incontinence.
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Smoking, Ageing, Menopause, Excessive weight
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Hysterectomy - the operation carries a risk of damage to the pelvic floor.
SUI also causes great psychosocial and sexual distress.
To find about more about treatments for urinary incontinence, speak to the team at Midlands Shockwave Clinic.
Contact us on
0121 709 3486
