Leaking Urine: The Consequence of Incontinence

March 27, 2014

You can’t always control when you pee. But you can at least know why:

Why do I leak urine?

Men and women leak urine for different reasons. Urinary leakage in women is typically associated with age, family history, and past pregnancies/deliveries. Men typically leak urine after a prostate surgery. Contact your doctor if urinary leakage is a problem for you.

Why do I leak urine when I cough?

This is a problem common in women called “stress urinary incontinence”. As women get older and have delivered babies, the muscles and structures in the pelvis that support the urethra will weaken. This can result in urinary leakage when you laugh, cough, or sneeze.

Why do I leak after I pee?

This is a problem more common in men called “post-void dribbling”. This can occur if the prostate is enlarged and impairs the way you urinate. Contact your doctor if this is bothersome problem.

Leak urine when I run.

Women (and men usually after surgical removal of the prostate) can leak urine with stress, such as exercise, laughing, coughing or sneezing. This is referred to as stress urinary incontinence. As women get older and have delivered babies, the muscles and structures in the pelvis that support the urethra will weaken.

Leak urine when sitting down.

If you leak urine while sitting down or without activity, you may have an overactive bladder. This means that the bladder spasms and does not relax properly.

Leak urine when pregnant.

Women may leak urine when pregnant simply due to the weight of carrying a pregnancy. The baby weight can cause the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, to weaken.