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Let’s be real: dealing with incontinence can feel frustrating and, at times, a little isolating. But if you’ve noticed small leaks after childbirth or as you’ve aged, know that you’re not alone. Many women experience incontinence, which makes it more common than you might think.
This guide is here to help you understand different incontinence types, with a focus on women like you, especially if you’re just beginning to see the symptoms. Let’s go over each type, explain what causes them, and give you some advice on how to proceed.
A condition in which you lose control of your bladder or bowel movements involuntarily is called incontinence. This means you might leak urine or stool without intending to. As women age, these symptoms are often noticed after pregnancy, childbirth, or child rearing.
It may feel awkward to talk about, but you’re not alone. There are a lot more people with incontinence than you might think, and it is manageable. The good news is that incontinence can be treated, and the first step toward improving your daily life is to understand your type of incontinence.
When it comes to finding the right treatment for incontinence, knowing what type you have is crucial. As an example, exercises and lifestyle changes that can help with stress incontinence may not be as effective for urge incontinence. By understanding the difference, you can address the leak more effectively, so you can resume your normal life without worry.
The two most common types of incontinence experienced by women are:
Throughout this guide, we’ll focus mostly on urinary incontinence, since it’s more common among women, especially those who have given birth. Additionally, we will discuss fecal incontinence, as the causes can be similar.
Urinary incontinence comes in several different forms, each with its own triggers and symptoms. Let’s break down the most common types.
Stress Incontinence
A person experiences stress incontinence when they cough, sneeze, laugh, or even exercise, causing urine to leak from their bladder. You develop this condition when your pelvic floor muscles weaken, which support the bladder.
Women often experience stress incontinence after childbirth, especially if their pelvic muscles are strained or damaged. It’s also common during menopause because of hormonal changes that affect muscle strength.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence occurs when you suddenly feel the need to urinate, often without warning, and may not be able to get to the bathroom in time. When your bladder isn’t full, it can feel like it’s constantly sending signals to your brain.
It is possible for bladder irritants such as caffeine, spicy foods, or artificial sweeteners to trigger urge incontinence. There are, however, some women whose bladders contract too frequently due to an overactive bladder.
Overflow Incontinence
A person suffering from overflow incontinence may feel their bladder is never fully empty, resulting in frequent, small leaks. Urine continues to flow from your bladder in dribbles even when you don’t feel the need to go.
You may suffer from this type of incontinence if you have a blockage or issues with your bladder that prevent it from emptying properly. Women can also experience hormonal changes and certain medications.
Functional Incontinence
The term functional incontinence refers to the condition of being able to control your bladder, but not getting to the bathroom on time because of some other obstacle, often physical or cognitive difficulties. A person recovering from surgery or dealing with mobility issues might find it difficult to get to the bathroom quickly, resulting in leaks.
Incontinence of this type is often associated with aging, but it can affect anyone with mobility problems or conditions like arthritis.
Mixed Incontinence
Mixed incontinence occurs when both urge incontinence and stress incontinence occur at the same time. Mixed symptoms are common in women, particularly after childbirth or during menopause.
Both sneezing or exercising (stress) and suddenly needing to urinate (urge) can result in urine leakage in these cases.
Fecal Incontinence: What You Need to Know
Women, especially after childbirth, are still concerned about fecal incontinence, despite its relatively low prevalence. Similar to urinary incontinence, it occurs when the pelvic floor muscles weaken or nerves are damaged during delivery, causing unintentional stool loss.
It is not uncommon for women to experience both bladder incontinence and bowel incontinence after having hard childbirths or undergoing pelvic trauma. If either type is affecting your daily life, you should address both as treatment options exist.
Several factors can contribute to incontinence in women, including:
Certain women are at higher risk for developing incontinence, particularly:
Visiting a healthcare provider is the first step if you experience leaks and want a proper diagnosis. It is likely that they will ask you about your symptoms, medical history, and conduct a physical examination.
They may recommend the following to help them better understand your incontinence:
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for incontinence, but the good news is that there are many effective treatments available.
Most women find significant relief through exercise and lifestyle changes, but more severe cases may require surgery or medical devices.
You do not need to give up your normal activities just because you are dealing with incontinence. For managing day-to-day life, here are some tips below, but please see our resource library:
Final Words
Incontinence affects many women, particularly after childbirth or as they age. Finding the right solution begins with understanding the type of incontinence you have, whether it is stress incontinence, urge incontinence, or mixed incontinence. The right treatment and lifestyle changes can help you improve your quality of life and control your symptoms.
Elitone – Feel Confident Again!
If you’re seeking a convenient solution to managing urinary incontinence at home, Elitone is your go-to solution.
Elitone is a non-invasive solution for women who suffer from urinary incontinence. Using one of our FDA-cleared solutions, you can treat stress incontinence – leaks caused by coughing, laughing, or exercising and/or urge incontinence – leaks caused by an overactive bladder. Using Elitone or Elitone URGE, you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and improve bladder control at home.
Get the confidence and relief you deserve. Elitone helps you return to normal life quickly.
FAQs
Elitone is an FDA-cleared device for toning your pelvic floor muscles. This external treatment device is non-invasive and discreet. Elitone can help reduce leaks and sudden urges to urinate. Improve your bladder function naturally, without medication or surgery in as little as six weeks! Don’t let the symptoms of perimenopause keep you from living a life free from leaks or inconvenient urges!