Leaking urine while running isn't as uncommon as you might think. The increase in physical activity can contribute to something known as stress incontinence. As the name implies, stress --- or better yet, pressure --- placed on the bladder causes the involuntary loss of urine. Luckily, self-care strategies can often improve and even stop this condition.
Development
The physical act of running can place pressure on your abdominal muscles and, in turn, place pressure on your bladder. This causes urine to escape into the urethra, where it has no place to go but out of the body. However, it's not just pressure on your bladder that leads to urine leakage. The muscles that support either the bladder or urinary sphincter are weakened in some way, so any pressure can now cause unintentional urine loss.
Factors
Women are far more likely to experience stress incontinence than men. It's at least partly due to childbirth, which can cause tissue or nerve damage to the muscles of the pelvic floor. This isn't to say men don't suffer from this condition, especially if you have problems with the prostate or have been living with diabetes for a number of years. Besides gender, your age and body weight can also increase your risk of developing stress incontinence.
Self-Care
Self-care often entails monitoring your fluid consumption. Talk to your doctor to help you determine how much fluids you should be drinking prior to and during a run. You can also invest in a urethral insert, which basically acts like a tampon, to absorb lost urine. Kegel exercises are also known to be beneficial. Both men and women can benefit from this practice. Focus on squeezing muscles of the pelvic floor, as if you are trying to stop the passage of gas, explains the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Medical
If self-care fails to improve stress incontinence, you can be fitted for a vaginal pessary, notes MayoClinic.com. This device helps support the bladder. Otherwise, surgeries are available to correct any weaknesses in the muscles that support the bladder or urinary sphincter.
Member Comments