Leakage affecting daily life
Common is not the same as normal, and it is very rarely untreatable.
What it may mean
Women often wait years before mentioning incontinence, having been told it is an inevitable consequence of childbirth or menopause. In reality most patterns of leakage respond well once the type has been correctly identified.
The distinction that drives everything is stress versus urge. Leaking on coughing or exercise is a support problem; a sudden desperate urge is a bladder-muscle problem. Treating one as if it were the other is the usual reason treatment fails.
What happens next
- A three-day bladder diary before your appointment
- Examination and a cough stress test
- Post-void residual measurement
- Urodynamics if the pattern is mixed or previous treatment failed
Urinary incontinence & overactive bladder
Stress incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, prolapse and pelvic floor assessment for women of every age.
If this is happening now
Complete inability to pass urine, visible blood in the urine, or severe one-sided flank pain with fever need same-day assessment. Attend your nearest emergency department.