What Causes Sudden Urine Loss
Stress incontinence occurs when pelvic muscles have been damaged, causing the bladder to leak during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing or any body movement that puts pressure on the bladder. Stress urinary incontinence is not necessarily a natural part of the aging process. It affects women of all ages. In women, it can be caused by:
Childbirth
Pelvic Surgery
Menopause or estrogen deficiency
Stress incontinence often first occurs during pregnancy or just after childbirth because the pelvic floor muscles stretch and weaken in pregnancy and delivery. Those same muscles become weak after menopause because they no longer get the female hormone estrogen.
How it Happens
The two basic causes for this kind of sudden urine loss are:
Most commonly, sudden urine loss is caused by a weakening in the pelvic floor. The muscles of the pelvic floor support the organs of the lower urinary tract, including the urethra (the tube from the bladder through which urine exits the body). A strong pelvic floor keeps the urethra tightly sealed until it's time to urinate. A weakened pelvic floor cannot hold the urethra in its correct position, so any movement from the diaphragm, such as a sneeze, that puts pressure on the bladder may cause the urethra to lose its seal and allow urine to escape.
Sudden urine loss is also due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). The sphincter muscles hold the urethra closed until it's time to urinate, when they relax their grip and allow urine to flow. With ISD, the sphincter muscles don't function as they should, which can cause urine to leak during movements that put pressure on the bladder. Stress urinary incontinence caused by ISD may be treated with injectable material.
Is it Temporary?
There are also temporary, reversible causes for urinary incontinence, including:
Urinary tract infection
Vaginal infection or irritation
Constipation
Medication side effects
(Do not discontinue any medication without first checking with your doctor.)
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