Urinary incontinence is when you leak urine without meaning to. There are different types of incontinence and different causes.
Urge incontinence: When you are suddenly desperate to pass urine and cannot make it to the toilet in time. Some women describe this happening as soon as they put the key in the lock when they get home and it is therefore sometimes referred to as ‘latchkey incontinence’. Urge incontinence occurs due to the bladder becoming overactive and going into spasm.
You can also have an overactive bladder resulting in an increased frequency and urgency of passing urine without incontinence.
Stress incontinence: When you increase the abdominal pressure down on the bladder and the pelvic floor cannot stop the bladder emptying. This can occur when coughing, sneezing, during exercise and other strenuous activities.
Women may struggle with either of these types of incontinence or both (mixed incontinence). Women are more likely to have these issues after a vaginal delivery and around the time of menopause.
How to improve Incontinence
Fluid intake: ensure you are drinking enough water (1 ½- 2L). If your urine becomes too concentrated it irritates the lining of the bladder. Caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks should be avoided as they also irritate the bladder.
Bladder retraining: it is possible to retrain your bladder to reduce incontinence. Avoid emptying your bladder ‘just in case’ and if you have urgency try to delay even for a few seconds. You can increase the time you can delay by; thinking of something else in order to distract yourself; crossing your legs, and help calm the bladder or squeezing your pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor: Your pelvic floor may be weak or it might be overactive, both of which can cause problems with incontinence.
If your pelvic floor is weak, doing some pelvic floor exercises will help to strengthen it. If you have been doing them for a long time but it hasn’t helped, it may be that they are overactive and you need to practice relaxation exercises such as abdominal breathing, stretches or general relaxation techniques.
Speaking to a women’s health physiotherapist can help you determine whether your pelvic floor is weak or too tight and the best approach to improve this.