There are different types of urinary incontinence. The most common are stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Stress incontinence is triggered by pressure on your abdomen (for example when you laugh, cough, sneeze or do something physical like playing sport or lifting things).
Urge incontinence is triggered by an overactive bladder. It is characterised by strong ‘urges’ to go to the toilet and not making it in time.
Urinary incontinence is very common and can affect up to one in two women (or 30-50 percent). It happens to women of all ages although it becomes more likely the older you are.
Urinary incontinence can have a big impact on your quality of life. Many women find it so embarrassing that they don’t seek medical help but there are a range of treatments that can help.
Our GP’s at bloom will:
- ask you questions about the history of your health
- examine your body
- ask you to cough, push down or tighten your pelvic muscles.
They may ask you to keep a bladder diary to work out what type of urinary incontinence you have. This means recording things such as how much fluid you drink, how many times you go to the toilet and when you leak. They may send you for urodynamic testing to try to work out what is causing your incontinence. This involves putting small tubes into your bladder and back passage (rectum) and monitoring how your bladder responds when it is filled with water.