You are making a presentation in office, and you sneeze (as it always comes unannounced). If that was not awkward enough, the worst is still to arrive! To your utter apprehension, you can feel an accidental release of urine. Urination incontinence is a very common problem faced by a number of people where one feels a sudden urge to pee but can’t hold it till she/he reaches the toilet. Although it may not result in any major health issues, it does put you in embarrassing situations. This sure is a case of an overactive bladder.

Not all experiences this on an everyday basis but suffer from this due to a persistent cough or maybe an after effect of a urinary tract infection (UTI), constipation, or even side effects of a particular medicine. However then, there are people who face this on a continuing basis.

You can have an overactive bladder because of the following reasons:

• Muscles in the lower urinary tract have turned weak.
• The nerves that restrain urination or the urinary tract are damaged.

Initially, there are two kinds of incontinence:

You may have a sudden urge to take a leak although the bladder is holding a small volume of urine. A few females may even feel the need to pee when they touch water. It is called urge incontinence.

This is a very normal bladder control problem faced by most women wherein urine leaks due to activities like sneezing and laughing that cause the body to put pressure on the bladder. Therefore it called stress incontinence.

What causes stress incontinence?

Normally, females become victims of this condition after childbirth and pregnancy that weaken the muscles around the bladder of the pelvic floor. Such muscles actually support the bladder so as to avoid a urine leak even when there’s enormous pressure on this muscular organ. The changes in the hormones post menopause as well can weaken these muscles.

Symptoms of urinary incontinence:

• You leak a small volume of urine whenever you exercise, sneeze, or laugh.
• You often feel the need to use the washroom. The urge to urinate frequently is frequently so uncontrollable, which you may even soak your panties or see your urine run down your legs.
• If you have any of these signs, it is time to consult your doctor, due to a full-blown incontinence is not to be taken lightly.

Expected risks that develop urinary incontinence:

Any female with the following physical condition is most probably to develop urinary incontinence:

• Bladder blockage
• Vaginal delivery
• Abnormalities of the urinary tract
• Continual infections of the bladder
• Old age
• Stones in the bladder
• A chronic cough caused by bronchitis or chain smoking and multiple childbirths contribute to this problem

How to treat urinary incontinence?

The treatment for this problem is case specific as it depends on the kind of incontinence you suffer from. It may consists of exercises, bladder training, medicines or combination of all these. A lot of females may even be recommended a surgery, which involves a process called vaginal sling that helps control urinary incontinence caused by stress. The vaginal sling assists close the urethra and bladder neck.