Understanding Mild Bladder Leakage

Mild bladder leakage is a form of incontinence that effects millions of women of all ages. Understanding the condition is a crucial part of managing it, and the right information can be a huge help in living active, confident lives.

Mild bladder leakage, or the inadvertent and unexpected loss of small amounts of urine, is one of the most common forms of female urinary incontinence. It’s a pervasive problem that effects literally millions of women of all ages, and if you don’t understand what’s happening and why, the condition can quickly become a life-limiting prison of fear and embarrassment. But with the right information and attitude, women with mild female urinary incontinence can enjoy everyday activities with security and confidence.

Understanding the basics of mild female urinary incontinence is the first step in managing it. The most common form of incontinence is stress incontinence, which is related to weakness of the pelvic floor muscles. These are the muscles that contract to “hold in” urine, and when they are weakened they sometimes fail to contract sufficiently to prevent leakage.

For women with mild stress incontinence, any action or activity that puts sudden additional pressure or stress on the bladder can lead to leakage. That’s why even sneezing, laughing, coughing, lifting, running, jumping, or any vigorous movement can result in embarrassing wetness.

In younger women, the most common form of female urinary incontinence is mild temporary stress incontinence caused by pregnancy and childbirth, which put tremendous strain on the pelvic floor muscles. However as we age the pelvic floor muscles also tend to lose tone and strength, and mild stress incontinence is very common in postmenopausal women. In fact, the National Association For Continence estimates that as many as one out of every five women over 40 regularly experiences some degree of stress incontinence.

The second most common form of female urinary incontinence that leads to light bladder leakage is urge incontinence, sometimes referred to as “overactive bladder”. Unlike stress incontinence, which is caused by sudden physical pressure on the bladder, this type of incontinence is triggered by the sensation of bladder fullness.

People with normal continence generally feel an urge to relieve themselves when the bladder is about half full, and they have no problem holding in the urine until getting to a bathroom is convenient. In cases of urge incontinence, even a small amount of urine in the the bladder sends “too full” message, and the muscles contract to expel it immediately, making it very difficult to get to a bathroom in time to avoid wetness.

The causes of urge incontinence are not fully understood, but it is a condition that becomes more common as we age. Many older women experience a combination of urge and stress incontinence, referred to as mixed incontinence, which is a common form of female urinary incontinence in women over 50.

The first, most crucial step in coping with female urinary incontinence is to recognize it for what it is. Both stress incontinence and urge incontinence are extremely common physical conditions that require some management, but which are nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. No matter what your age, there are steps you can take to keep mild bladder leakage from becoming a life-limiting condition.

Article Tags: Female Urinary Incontinence, Most Common Form, Mild Bladder, Bladder Leakage, Most Common, Female Urinary, Urinary Incontinence, Common Form, Incontinence, Which, Pelvic Floor, Stress Incontinence,, Stress Incontinence

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