How is stress urinary incontinence treated?

Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
Updated on February 03, 2025
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Stress urinary incontinence primarily occurs when activities like coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or jumping rope cause a sudden increase in negative pressure, leading to urine leakage from the urethral opening. For the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, it is important to determine the severity of the condition. For mild stress urinary incontinence, improvement can be achieved through exercises that strengthen the urinary sphincter and the pelvic floor muscles. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, surgical intervention is recommended, mainly through mid-urethral sling procedures to manage urination. Patients should also take care to minimize activities that suddenly increase abdominal pressure, such as lifting heavy objects, laughing heartily, or sneezing.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Should I wear diapers for urinary incontinence?

Whether patients with urinary incontinence need to use diapers should be determined based on the severity of the incontinence. If it is only mild incontinence that does not affect normal work and life, it is not necessary to wear diapers. Regular urination schedules, along with exercises like pelvic lift and pelvic floor muscle training, can alleviate the condition. However, if the incontinence is more pronounced, it is best to initially use diapers to prevent excessive urine leakage. If necessary, a urinary catheter can be used temporarily to drain the urine and prevent leakage. At the same time, it is important to actively undergo relevant examinations to determine the cause of the incontinence and carry out targeted treatment.

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Written by Zhao Su Min
Obstetrics
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Is it normal to have urinary incontinence with morning sickness during pregnancy?

Morning sickness and urinary incontinence are considered normal phenomena. If severe nausea and vomiting occur after pregnancy, it could increase abdominal pressure, leading to stress urinary incontinence. This condition is thought to be caused by the relaxation of pelvic floor muscles. It is crucial to actively engage in pelvic floor rehabilitation after childbirth to aid the recovery of the pelvic floor, to prevent symptoms like urinary incontinence and leakage when coughing postpartum. The best period for pelvic floor recovery is between 42 days to six months after childbirth. Engaging in pelvic floor rehabilitation during this period is beneficial for recovery. The longer the delay, the slower and more challenging the recovery will be.

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Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
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Can fecal incontinence be cancer?

The most common causes of fecal incontinence are neurological dysfunction or relaxation of the local anal sphincter. In some cases of advanced rectal cancer, excessive tumor growth can enlarge the local intestinal contents, leading to involuntary expulsion of feces. Diagnosis involves further examination using electronic colonoscopy, digital anal examination, and assessment of neurological function. If the cause is related to a neurological disorder, treatment by a neurologist is required. If the cause is relaxation of the anal sphincter, then anal sphincter tightening surgery may be considered. In cases where fecal incontinence is caused by an intestinal tumor, surgery to remove the tumor is recommended, along with radiation or chemotherapy.

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Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
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Causes of stress urinary incontinence

The onset of stress urinary incontinence primarily refers to the phenomenon where a sudden increase in abdominal pressure during activities such as laughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or jumping rope causes a small amount of urine to leak from the urethra. The main cause of stress urinary incontinence is due to the relaxation of the detrusor muscle, commonly seen in women who have had multiple vaginal deliveries. Treatment for this condition should be based on the severity of the incontinence. For mild incontinence, it can be improved through functional exercises of the detrusor muscle and pelvic floor muscle training. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, surgical treatment is recommended.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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What causes postpartum urinary incontinence?

Postpartum urinary incontinence in women often occurs after vaginal delivery. Clinically, postpartum urinary incontinence is relatively common and is mostly due to the stretching or injury of certain muscle groups in the pelvic floor as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can also occur due to surgical intervention affecting the nerves and blood vessels that support the pelvic floor, leading to relaxation or atrophy of the levator ani muscle. Postpartum urinary incontinence typically occurs about a week after delivery, and timely treatment is necessary. During the treatment period, bed rest is advised, which can alleviate some of the discomforts and possibly avoid the need for surgery.