Urinary incontinence, the unintended leakage of urine, affects twice as many women as men and causes embarrassment and isolation that can lead to debilitation, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The bladder functions to store and expel urine produced by the kidneys. This function requires a complex interaction between the muscles that support the bladder, known as the pelvic floor muscles, the sphincter muscles between the bladder and the urethra and the nerves that communicate with the brain. Many contributing factors that affect these functions can cause stress incontinence, urine leakage that occurs when coughing, sneezing or lifting heavy objects.
Childbirth
The pelvic floor muscles separate the pelvic region from the perineal region. These muscles provide support for the bladder, uterus and intestines. Childbirth can stretch or injury the pelvic floor muscles. Vaginal births and births that require the use of forceps increases the risk for injury.
Coughing, sneezing or lifting applies stress, or pressure, on the bladder. When the pelvic floor muscles become weak, the pressure allows the bladder to move downward. This movement forces the sphincter muscle to open slighting allowing urine to leak.
Pelvic Surgery
Pelvic surgery, such as a hysterectomy for women, can also damage the pelvic floor muscles. The resulting stress incontinence may occur immediately following surgery, or begin later, according to MayoClinic.com.
Menopause
Menopause, the period in life in which the ovaries stop producing eggs, triggers many changes within the body including a decrease in the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Approximately 40 percent of menopausal women suffer from incontinence, according to Epigee.org.
Estrogen helps keep the urethra and the lining of the bladder healthy. In addition, estrogen stimulates blood flow to the pelvis region, increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. As the level of estrogen drops the muscles weaken which can contribute to stress incontinence.
Prostate Surgery
Prostate surgery for men can damage the urethra or the neck of the bladder. This damage can affect the ability of the sphincter muscle to work effectively. Pressure applied to the bladder can cause the sphincter muscle to open spontaneously, causing stress incontinence.
Obesity
Obesity, defined by the World Health Organization as a body mass index of over 30 kilograms per meters square, contributes to the onset of stress incontinence. Additional body weight, especially in the abdominal region, adds additional pressure on the organs including the bladder.
Diabetes
Diabetes, a condition characterized by an increased level of glucose---or sugar---in the blood, increases the risk of developing stress incontinence. Diabetes increases the amount of urine produced in the kidneys therefore increasing the urine flow into and out of the bladder. The increased level of sugar in the blood causes nerve damage. These two factors together contribute to the onset of stress incontinence.
