Risk Factors

Risk factors for stress incontinence:

• Damage to the pelvic muscles occurring during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Stress incontinence can worsen right before your period because of reduced estrogen levels that lead to lower muscular pressure around the urethra, increasing chances of leakage. The risk also increases after menopause.

Risk factors for urge incontinence:

• Aging.
• Obstruction of urine flow.
• Inconsistent emptying of the bladder.
• A diet high in bladder irritants such as tea, soda, chocolate and acidic fruit juices.
• Damage to the nerves of the bladder, to the nervous system (spinal cord and brain) or to the muscles themselves.
• Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, surgery and injury.

Risk factors for overflow incontinence:

• Nerve damage from diabetes or other diseases can lead to weak bladder muscles.
• Tumors can block the urethra.

In the Encyclopedia:

	Bed-wetting
	Bladder training
	External sphincter electromyography
	Urinary incontinence

Symptoms Include:

	Increase in frequency of urination
	Urgent need to urinate
	Waking several times at night to urinate
	Leaking urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing or lifting
	Pain when urinating

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.