Patient Education
Stress Incontinence
Overview
The Scientific Mumbo Jumbo:
Stress Urinary Incontinence Symptoms are defined as the complaints of involuntary leakage of urine on effort or exertion, or on sneezing or coughing. Urodynamic Stress Incontinence is defined as involuntary leakage of urine caused by increases in intraabdominal pressure in the absence of bladder contractions. Urodynamic Testing is used to evaluate urinary incontinence. This test utilizes a computer, which can measure both muscle activity (EMG) and pressure changes of the bladder and urethra as it is filled with water. Many patients with Stress Incontinence Symptoms will not have Urodynamic Stress Incontinence.
Keeping it Simple:
Stress Incontinence is a type of urinary incontinence caused by increases in abdominal pressure. Women with stress incontinence typically have leakage of urine with activities such as swinging a golf club, playing tennis, jumping, bending, coughing, laughing, yelling, or brisk walking. The real trick in diagnosing and treating stress incontinence is to not confusing it with Urge Incontinence, a type of incontinence caused by bladder spasms. Some of the same activities that cause Stress Incontinence can cause a bladder spasm (Urge Incontinence). So, if a patient is complaining of loss of urine with some of these activities, it is critically important to make sure that she is not having bladder spasms. If she is having bladder spasms, treatments for stress incontinence will not stop the leakage of urine, but could make it worse. A Urogynecologist utilizes Urodynamic testing with EMG to sort this out.
