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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThese factors increase your risk of developing urinary incontinence:
- Sex. Women are more likely than men are to have stress incontinence. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and normal female anatomy account for this difference. However, men with prostate gland problems are at increased risk of urge and overflow incontinence.
- Age. As you get older, the muscles in your bladder and urethra lose some of their strength. Changes with age reduce how much your bladder can hold and increase the chances of involuntary urine release. However, getting older doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have incontinence. Incontinence isn't normal at any age — except during infancy.
- Being overweight. Being obese or overweight increases the pressure on your bladder and surrounding muscles, which weakens them and allows urine to leak out when you cough or sneeze.
- Smoking. A chronic cough associated with smoking can cause episodes of incontinence or aggravate incontinence that has other causes. Constant coughing puts stress on your urinary sphincter, leading to stress incontinence. Smoking may also increase the risk of overactive bladder by causing bladder contractions.
- Other diseases. Kidney disease or diabetes may increase your risk for incontinence.
References
- Urinary incontinence. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec17/ch228/ch228b.html. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- Urinary incontinence in women. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/pdf/UI-Women.pdf. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- DuBeau CE. Epidemiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- DuBeau CE. Treatment of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- Quentin Clemins J. Urinary incontinence in men. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- Deng DY. Urinary incontinence in women. Medical Clinics of North America. 2011; 95:101.
- Fong E. Urinary incontinence. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2010;37:599.
- Incontinence. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- Hartmann KE, et al. Treatment of Overactive Bladder in Women. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32542/. Accessed April 28, 2011.
- Nygaard A. Idiopathic urgency urinary incontinence. New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363:1156.
- Urgent PC. Uroplasty Inc. http://www.uroplasty.com/patients/urgentpc. Accessed May 11, 2011.
- Clinician training & resources FAQ. FemSoft insert: Instructions for women. http://www.femsofttraining.com. Accessed June 17, 2011.
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