Incontinence can occur in mild or severe forms. In severe cases, incontinence can cause great embarrassment and lifestyle changes in the women who suffer from this condition. Incontinence can occur in several forms and the key to treatment is in recognizing the correct form of female incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is leakage of urine with coughing, straining, laughing, exercising or any other activity that increases the pressure in the abdomen causing urine to leak out of the bladder. This form of incontinence is causes by weakened pelvic floor muscles or a weak urinary sphincter muscle.
Treatment is divided into nonsurgical and surgical therapies.
Nonsurgical therapies include medicines, exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, and attempts to keep the bladder empty especially prior to strenuous activities. Surgical therapies include operations that provide support to the weakened pelvic floor or urinary sphincter. Generally stress incontinence is best treated by surgery, however in mild forms nonsurgical therapies may reduce leakage. Urgency incontinence is the leakage of urine from a sudden uncontrollable contraction of the bladder muscle. Women who have this type of incontinence will often leak without warning regardless of their activity.