Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Overview

Stress urinary incontinence, or SUI, is a form of urinary incontinence when urine leakage occurs from actions or movements that put press on the bladder.

Stress urinary incontinence causes

There are a number of factors that can cause SUI, including:

• Age
• A history of pregnancy and childbirth
• Weak pelvic floor muscles
• Chronic constipation
• Obesity
• Frequent heavy lifting
• Chronic medical conditions that cause coughing (asthma) or sneezing (allergies)
• Smoking

Stress urinary incontinence symptoms

• Coughing
• Laughing
• Sneezing
• Jumping
• Exercise
• Lifting heavy things
• Position Changes

Stress urinary incontinence can occur frequently or infrequently and there can be a large volume of urine loss or small volume of urine loss.

Stress urinary incontinence diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you detailed questions about your symptoms and urinary leakage patterns that will help guide the diagnosis.

They may perform a focused exam to evaluate your pelvic health, which may include:

• A cough or strain test to look for immediate leakage
• A urinalysis to check for and rule out a urinary tract infection (UTI)
• A test called a post-void residual assessment which helps them see how well your bladder empties.

Additional advanced diagnostic testing, like urodynamics, may be recommended to provide detailed information on how your bladder and urethra are working.

Stress urinary incontinence treatment

Treating SUI, which is fairly common, could look like:

• Lifestyle and dietary modifications
• Pelvic floor physical therapy
• Vaginal pessary
• Surgery (usually mid-urethral slings or urethral bulking agents)

When to seek care

It may be time to seek care from your physician if you find yourself constantly bothered or embarrassed by urine leakage or if you are avoiding exercise, physical activities or social gatherings because of your symptoms.