What Are the Main Causes of Urinary Incontinence?

The first thing to know about urinary incontinence is that you’re not alone: it affects up to 33% of American adults today. Here at Urology Specialists of Cypress, our board-certified urologist Dr. James Stocks and talented team focus on finding the causes of your urinary incontinence so we can provide personalized treatment options for you. 

The causes of urinary incontinence vary with the type you have. Let’s explore the most common causes of stress urinary incontinence and urgency incontinence. 

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI)

Stress urinary incontinence is caused by weak and stretched-out pelvic muscles. In particular, the weakening of the urethral sphincter — the muscle that controls urine flow — leads to SUI. 

When the urethral sphincter is weak, it can’t prevent urine from leaking out during times of sudden pressure. So, urine leakage commonly happens when sneezing, coughing, bending, lifting, or during other physical activity. 

This muscle weakening can happen for many reasons. In women (the group most affected by SUI), pregnancy and childbirth are some of the main causes, as they put a lot of extra pressure on pelvic muscles for a prolonged period. 

And, more than half of women develop SUI during menopause. This happens because estrogen loss causes the weakening of pelvic muscles and reduced muscle elasticity. 

In men, prostate problems are among the main causes of SUI. But, men are more likely to experience the other main kind of urinary incontinence called urge incontinence. 

A few of the other possible causes of SUI include physical injuries, surgery, urinary tract infections, and chronic constipation. 

Urgency incontinence 

Urgency incontinence is urine leakage that happens because of sudden powerful urges to urinate. It develops when there’s a problem with brain/bladder communication. Basically, your brain sends a signal to your bladder that indicates it’s time to empty at irregular times or far too often.

These bladder contractions can happen even when your bladder isn’t full and even if you have just a small amount of urine stored in your bladder. Because the urge is so sudden, you can’t always reach the bathroom fast enough, leading to leaks. 

Some of the main causes of urgency incontinence mirror those of SUI: It’s often due to prostate problems in men and menopause in women. But, many other factors might contribute, such as your diet, medications, neurological disease, nerve damage, and bladder damage.

You may have SUI and urgency incontinence simultaneously (mixed incontinence). 

We use a variety of evaluation methods to find the cause of your urinary incontinence, including physical exams, lab tests, imaging tests, and office-based diagnostic procedures. With this information, we can find out the best treatment paths for your unique situation. 

At Urology Specialists of Cypress, we know that talking about urinary incontinence can be tough, so we strive to put you at ease in a comfortable atmosphere. There are always solutions, regardless of circumstances or age. 

To learn more, contact us online or call our office at 281-304-2521.