• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Stress incontinence

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Stress incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine that occurs during physical activity, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise.

Alternative Names:

Incontinence - stress

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The ability to hold urine and maintain continence depends on the normal function of the lower urinary tract, the kidneys, and the nervous system. Additionally, the person must have the ability to recognize and appropriately respond to the urge to urinate.

Stress incontinence is a bladder storage problem in which the strength of the muscles (urethral sphincter) that help control urination is reduced. The sphincter is not able to prevent urine flow when there is increased pressure from the abdomen.

Stress incontinence may occur as a result of weakened pelvic muscles that support the bladder and urethra or because of malfunction of the urethral sphincter. The weakness may be caused by prior injury to the urethral area, neurological injury, some medications, or after surgery of the prostate or pelvic area.

Stress urinary incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women. Studies have shown about 50% of all women have occasional urinary incontinence, and as many as 10% have frequent incontinence. Nearly 20% of women over age 75 experience daily urinary incontinence.

Stress incontinence is often seen in women who have had multiple pregnancies and vaginal childbirths, whose bladder, urethra, or rectal wall stick out into the vaginal space (pelvic prolapse).

Risk factors for stress incontinence include:

• Being female
• Getting older
• Childbirth
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Chronic coughing (such as chronic bronchitis and asthma)

• Review Date: 5/15/2006
• Reviewed By: Melanie N. Smith, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.