What Is Stress Incontinence?
Stress incontinence can be uncomfortable and interfere with your daily life. It doesn't have to be that way. With treatment, you can achieve bladder control and enjoy an active life again.
Stress incontinence is a type of urinary incontinence. It happens when certain movements or activities put pressure on the urethra (tube where urine exits the body) and cause urine accidents. Many people experience stress incontinence when they:
- Cough
- Jump
- Laugh
- Lift weights
- Run
- Sneeze
Symptoms of Stress Incontinence
If you have stress incontinence, you may notice that you accidentally leak urine when you move or perform certain activities. The urine leakage may be an occasional drop or dribble if the condition is mild. In severe cases, you may leak a stream of urine.
Stress incontinence is different from overactive bladder (OAB). OAB causes a need to urinate often and feeling an urgent need to urinate. OAB symptoms are not related to activity. Learn more about Overactive Bladder Treatment Program.
Causes of Stress Incontinence
Many people experience stress incontinence and bladder leakage as they get older. It is more common in females, but it affects males, too.
Stress incontinence happens when the muscles that support your urethra become weaker. The bladder or other organs may drop and put pressure on the urethra. Causes of weakened pelvic muscles include:
- Childbirth
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Pregnancy
- Surgery on the prostate, uterus or other pelvic organs
Diagnosing Stress Incontinence
Your doctor will ask you about your health history and symptoms and perform a physical exam. Your provider may also order tests to look at your bladder health, including:
- Urine test: With a urine sample, doctors can check for infections or kidney problems.
- Pelvic ultrasound: This imaging test uses sound waves to take pictures of pelvic organs, including the bladder and urethra.
- Bladder stress test: During a bladder stress test, your doctor has you wear a pad and strain or cough. This can measure how much the bladder is leaking.
- Cystoscopy: Doctors insert a thin tool into the urethra that takes pictures of the inside of the bladder.
- Video urodynamics (VUDS):This specialized imaging test measures bladder capacity and how well the bladder empties.
Stress Incontinence Treatment at Penn Medicine
Your treatment depends on the severity of your stress incontinence and personal preferences. Treatments may include:
Pelvic floor physical therapy
Pelvic floor exercises and training can help you gain stronger muscles to help control bladder leakage. After learning these techniques in our clinic, you can do the exercises at home.
Our highly trained therapists teach you exercises that support your bladder and urethra. Your therapy may include Kegel exercise training and using devices that help you identify your pelvic floor muscles. Find out more about pelvic floor outpatient physical rehabilitation at Penn.
Injectable bulking agents
Your provider may use a needle to inject certain medical materials, such as collagen, around the urethra. This can help prevent pressure on the urethra and urine leaks.
Vaginal pessary (for females)
You insert a customized, ring-like device into the vagina. The device supports your pelvic floor muscles and takes pressure off the urethra.
Stress incontinence surgery
Our specialists have years of training and experience in minimally invasive stress incontinence surgery. Our advanced techniques use smaller incisions, so you have a faster, easier recovery and fewer complications.
Stress incontinence surgeries include:
- Sling procedures: These procedures use your own tissue, donor tissue or synthetic material to create a sling or hammock in the pelvis. These materials lift the pelvic organs and support the urethra. We perform this procedure using robotic techniques for enhanced precision and so we can use tiny incisions. Learn more about our Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery Program.
- Artificial urinary sphincter: Doctors place a sphincter (cuff) around the urethra that acts like a valve. The cuff stays closed until you open it with a special pump. Our urological surgeons are among the few in the U.S. who perform this specialized surgery. Read more about our approach to artificial urinary sphincter in our Reconstructive Urology Program.
Make an Appointment
Call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.