About 13 million Americans suffer from some degree of incontinence. Some experts estimate that the true figure may be twice that amount, with women accounting for about 85% of all cases.

The first explanation for why women are more vulnerable to incontinence is, unfortunately, that life isn’t fair. For a man, whose urethra is longer, incontinence usually occurs only when he has bladder disease or has an enlarged or cancerous prostate that squeezes his urethra. A woman’s urethra is at less than two inches long and is supported by the vaginal wall and other muscles. These muscles may weaken after trauma from pregnancy and childbirth, hysterectomy and other pelvic surgery, and hormonal changes that come with menopause and aging.

When pelvic muscles weaken, the bladder, bladder neck, and urethra may shift from their normal positions. They may drop for an instant when there is pressure or “stress” on the bladder from such things as a sudden laugh or strenuous exercise. The bladder neck and urethra open just enough for urine to leak. This type of incontinence is called “stress incontinence.”

If the bladder is unstable or overactive, or if there is an underlying neurological condition that interferes with the body’s nerve communication system such as in multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, the result may feel like an urgent need to urinate. This may lead to “urge incontinence.”

Some women may suffer from a mixture of these two types of incontinence.

For more information about the Department of Urology, contact:

Phone: 214-648-4765, FAX: 214-648-4789

Mailing Address: 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., J8.148, Dallas, TX 75390-9110