A Guide to Urinary Incontinence Causes and Treatment Options

If you’ve ever laughed so hard you peed, you’re not alone. But if bladder leaks happen often – after childbirth, during menopause, or as part of your daily life – it may be time to talk to your doctor about urinary incontinence.

What is urinary incontinence?

Bladder leakage in women, also known as female urinary incontinence, can be a sign of a pelvic floor disorder. These conditions affect the muscles and tissues that support the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum. At least one in three women will experience a pelvic floor disorder at some point in their lifetime.* While they are more common after childbirth and menopause, it can happen at any age.

Types of pelvic floor disorders

Pelvic floor disorders – also known as pelvic floor dysfunction – can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

• Urinary incontinence – Bladder leakage that happens without control.
• Urinary retention or incomplete bladder emptying – Trouble fully emptying your bladder.
• Pelvic organ prolapse – When a pelvic organ slips out of place and bulges into the vagina.
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) – Repeated infections of the urinary tract caused by bacteria.
• Bowel incontinence – Difficulty controlling bowel movements.
• Vaginal stenosis – Narrowing of the vaginal canal, which can cause pain.

Urinary incontinence and other symptoms of pelvic floor disorders can impact daily life but often go untreated because women feel embarrassed or don’t realize help is available to them. It’s important that you take steps to treat incontinence or a possible pelvic floor disorder as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms, as early treatment can make a big difference.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Understanding the cause of incontinence is key to finding the right treatment. There are two main types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress incontinence – Leakage when you cough, laugh, or sneeze.
• Urgency incontinence – A sudden, strong need to urinate but not enough time to get to the restroom. 

Women often experience a combination of both.

Common causes include:

• Obesity
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Genetics
• Complications following pregnancy or childbirth.
• Injury
• Menopause
• Chronic constipation
• Mental health issues, such as long-term stress, depression, or a history of physical or sexual abuse
• Neurologic diseases

Since symptoms can often be similar to other health issues, seeing a doctor, such as your AHN PCP, OB-GYN, or urogynecologist, can help you find the cause.

Treatment options

The good news is, there are many treatment options available to you. Your doctor can help you decide what is best for you.

Non-surgical treatments include:

• Medications and supplements
• Pelvic floor exercises and physical therapy
• Nerve stimulation therapy
• Botox^® injections
• Topical creams

AHN also offers minimally invasive surgical procedures, including:

• Sacral neuromodulation – uses a small battery to stimulate the nerves that control the bladder and bowel, to improve bladder control.
• Periurethral bulking – a minimally invasive procedure to treat stress incontinence.
• Mid-urethral sling surgery – another procedure to treat stress-induced leakage. 

These techniques performed by AHN West Penn’s urogynecology team help patients recover faster with fewer risks.

Lifestyle changes

Along with medical treatment, these changes may help reduce symptoms:

• Avoid “trigger fluids” like carbonated or acidic drinks, alcohol, or caffeine.
• Avoid acidic foods.
• For women who are overweight or obese, weight loss may help reduce pressure on the bladder.
• Quit smoking.

Care after childbirth

For new mothers experiencing incontinence after childbirth, AHN West Penn offers pelvic health care during the first 12 weeks postpartum. Getting early care can prevent long-term pelvic floor issues.

Don’t wait to seek care

Too many women wait years before seeking treatment for urinary incontinence.

You don’t have to live with discomfort or plan your day around restroom access. AHN is here to help. Whether your symptoms are new or something you’ve been dealing with for years, our team is ready to find a solution that works for you. Learn more about AHN’s urogynecology team and treatment options today.