Urinary incontinence with a strong cough today is considered by doctors as a separate disease. Many studies have been conducted on this topic in clinical practice. The results of most of them show that about 30% of women suffer from the presented disease. The lion's share of such cases occurs in the elderly and pregnant women. Details on why cough incontinence occurs will be discussed later in the article.
Degrees of urinary incontinence
Based on the amount of urine excreted, there are several degrees of pathology:
- Mild - Only a few drops of urine are passed at a time with increased intra-abdominal pressure from coughing, laughing, sneezing.
- Medium - a fairly tangible amount of bodily fluid is released not only when coughing, but also when walking calmly, minor physical exertion.
- Severe - uncontrolled excretion of an abundance of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, physical exertion, other spasms that put pressure on the organs of the urogenital area.
Cough incontinence in women: causes
In most cases, the main cause of this phenomenon is a violation of the functions of the sphincter, which is responsible for retaining fluid in the bladder. This also leads to age-related reduction in the length of the urethra. Among other reasons for the development of the disease, it is worth noting:
- individual overactive bladder;
- appearance of pathological neoplasms in the tissues of the genitourinary organs;
- chronic inflammation of the bladder;
- prolapse of the uterus and vaginal walls;
- protracted or rapid labor;
- undergoing complex endourethral or gynecological surgeries;
- mechanical injury to the perineal region;
- excessive exercise.
Postpartum incontinence
It is worth noting that urinary incontinence during coughing in men is much less common than in women. Representatives of the stronger sex suffer from such a deviation only in chronic diseases of the prostate gland, in particular when it is enlarged.
In women, cough incontinence most often occurs as a result of weakening of the muscles in the pelvic floor after childbirth. Quite often the deviation is shown after the transferred ruptures of walls of generative organs. To eliminate the phenomenon in this case, one cannot do without special therapy aimed at strengthening the muscle tissues of the pelvic floor. The results after specific exercises become noticeable after passing severalmonths.
Cough incontinence in women as a consequence of the development of cystitis
If urinary incontinence during coughing is accompanied by sharp pain in the groin area, most likely the cause is cystitis. Often, only a few drops of urine come out.
Cystitis is a disease caused by inflammation in the bladder. This can be caused by infections, the formation of kidney stones, irritation of the mucous membranes by the sand that comes out of the kidneys, and hypothermia. In the case of the development of this disease, not only urinary incontinence can be observed when coughing, but also with the most insignificant physical exertion.
Involuntary urination in menopausal women
As practice shows, such unpleasant phenomena as menopause and menopause manifest themselves by the age of 50. During this period, the female genitourinary system undergoes significant hormonal changes. This causes a weakening of the muscle mass in the pelvic floor area and, as a result, urinary incontinence when coughing.
Stress involuntary urination during menopause, according to statistics, occurs in 60% of women. Accompanied by an unpleasant phenomenon of burning and dryness in the vagina. The result of such uncomfortable manifestations is an increase in general nervous excitability.
Urinary incontinence in older women
General decrease in muscle tone and sclerotic manifestations lead to involuntary urination in the elderlywomen. With the aging of the body, the muscles of the pelvic floor descend, the sphincter is weakened. Along with numerous neurological problems, it causes urinary incontinence when coughing and sneezing.
Older women see no reason to visit the gynecologist regularly. This behavior leads to the fact that neoplasms that occur in the tissues of the organs of the genitourinary sphere reach large sizes. With a sudden contraction of the muscles during coughing, sneezing or laughing, inflamed tissues press on the bladder. This, in fact, leads to involuntary urination in older people.
What factors increase the risk of developing the disease?
Such a phenomenon as involuntary urination when coughing can form against the background:
- obesity;
- alcohol and tobacco abuse;
- undergoing radiotherapy;
- diseases of a neurological nature;
- development of tumors in the spinal cord.
Non-surgical treatments
How to eliminate urinary incontinence in women when coughing? Treatment is aimed primarily at identifying the underlying cause. Therefore, an immediate examination by a qualified doctor is an extremely important point on the road to recovery.
If you have urinary incontinence when coughing - what to do? Today, to eliminate this pathology, they resort to the following methods:
- Magnetic stimulation of the genitourinary organs - helps to strengthen muscle tissue in the smallpelvis.
- Hormone therapy - is prescribed for patients who suffer from involuntary urination during menopause, as well as in the elderly and senile age.
- Special gymnastics - a set of exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the perineum. In most cases, it is prescribed to patients in combination with drug therapy.
- Pharmaceuticals - prescribed in cases where involuntary urination in women occurs against the background of developing infections that affect the urogenital area.
Surgical elimination of pathology
Surgery is used in extreme cases. It is prescribed by doctors if physiological procedures and taking medications for a long time do not eliminate urinary incontinence when coughing. Most often, operations are performed in order to remove pathological neoplasms, which, in fact, lead to involuntary urination. In some cases, surgery is used to strengthen the sphincter and bladder walls.
To eliminate urinary incontinence when coughing, so-called sling surgeries are sometimes performed. During the latter, the surgeon creates a special loop in the urethra, which holds the sphincter and prevents involuntary urination with a sharp, unexpected pressure on the pelvic muscles. It is this operation that is considered the most effective in the pathologies of the presented nature.
If a woman's bladder is fullonly slightly, but at the same time there are regular urges to empty it, an operation is applied that makes it possible to remove tissue contraction.
In recent years, the bulk of qualified medical professionals tend to believe that surgery is the most effective way to eliminate urinary incontinence when coughing. However, if the patient is diagnosed with "overactive bladder", it is strictly forbidden to resort to surgery.
Helpful tips
Reduce the discomfort associated with involuntary urination while coughing with the following tips:
- Do not be shy to consult a doctor when a phenomenon is detected. Clearly follow all the instructions of the specialist.
- Get rid of bad habits such as smoking and drinking. Abuse of products of this nature leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This, in turn, can be one of the causes of urinary incontinence when coughing.
- As practice shows, there is a direct link between involuntary urination and the presence of excess weight. Therefore, obese people who suffer from urinary incontinence are advised to lose a few pounds and evaluate the result.
- Carbonated and invigorating drinks are known for their diuretic effect. Patients who suffer from involuntary urination during coughing, sneezing or laughing should exclude such foods from the diet.
- If the pathology is insevere stage of development, it is recommended to use special urological pads. The use of the latter will not only solve the problem of excessive moisture, but also eliminate unpleasant odors.
- People who are incontinent when coughing should wear loose clothing. This makes it possible to reduce pressure on the organs of the urogenital area during involuntary muscle contraction in this area.
In closing
So we looked at the main causes of urinary incontinence when coughing, as well as methods of dealing with such an unpleasant pathological phenomenon. Finally, it is worth noting that in cases where the disease is mild or moderately developed, it is better to resort to therapy using physiotherapy exercises or topical medications. These methods are not traumatic for the body. Therefore, with complex application, they can be extremely effective at the initial stages of the formation of the disease. In the absence of positive results or in case of exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to undergo a second examination to identify changes, and only then think about surgical intervention.
