Urinary Incontinence in Women: What Causes It and How to Find Natural Relief

The thought of peeing your pants can give a kid nightmares. Surely, by adulthood we no longer have to worry about that, right?

Unfortunately, that’s not true. Urinary incontinence can still happen. In fact, it’s common, affecting at least 30% of adult women. However, just because it is common doesn't mean it is inevitable. 

You can take action to prevent urinary incontinence. If you already live with it, there are also many treatment options. Let’s discuss.

What is incontinence?

Incontinence is the leakage of pee, poop, or gas when you don’t intend to pass them. Incontinence can affect your bladder, bowels, or both. However, most people think of bladder incontinence first when they hear the word “incontinence”.

Urinary (or bladder) incontinence is the loss of bladder control. The result: you leak pee. As you may know or imagine, this can be quite embarrassing.

A little urine leakage may sound like no big deal, but at NeuEve, we know the truth. We’ve heard from many women about how urinary incontinence affects their well-being and quality of life. 

We’re here to help you find relief.

There are many types of urinary incontinence, but here are the two most common:

• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI): When you leak pee during certain activities that put pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor. Common triggers include laughing, sneezing, sex, or various types of physical activity.

• Urge urinary incontinence (UUI): When you need to pee suddenly and can’t make it to the bathroom in time.

You can also have mixed incontinence: A combination of stress and urge incontinence.

What are common symptoms of bladder incontinence?

Some common symptoms of bladder incontinence include:

• A sudden, immediate urge to urinate that you can’t delay

• Leaking during activities such as laughing, coughing, sex, or physical activity

• Leaking without any warning or urge that you need to pee

• Wetting the bed

What causes incontinence in women?

Incontinence in women is caused by the urinary system and/or pelvic floor muscles not functioning properly. First, a few definitions:

• The female urinary system is a group of organs. This system helps remove waste from your body. That waste is called urine (aka pee).

• Pelvic floor muscles are the muscles inside your pelvis. They act like a hammock to support your internal organs, including your bladder. These muscles also help you hold in your pee and release it when you’re ready.

Usually, you can store urine in your bladder for several hours. As the bladder becomes full, your body sends your brain a signal that it’s time to empty. This gives you enough time to head to the bathroom. When you get to the bathroom to pee, your pelvic floor muscles relax, letting your urethra open. Then your bladder muscle contracts to move urine out through your urethra.

When the urinary system or pelvic floor muscles aren’t working properly, this process can break down, causing urinary incontinence. This can happen in several ways, but we’ll focus on the big two in this article: stress and urge incontinence.

Causes of stress urinary incontinence in women 

SUI happens when the pressure on the bladder is more than what the pelvic floor muscles and tissues can handle. When you cough, sneeze, laugh, or lift something heavy, abdominal pressure rises and pushes down on your bladder. 

If your pelvic floor muscles aren't well-coordinated, they can't tighten and close your urethra quickly enough. As a result, urine may leak from your bladder.

Many things can cause your pelvic floor muscles to become less coordinated in this way. For those who give birth vaginally, childbirth can injure the muscles and nerves in your pelvic floor. In other cases, other muscles, such as your abdominals, become overdeveloped and start to overpower your pelvic floor: this is quite common among athletes.

Causes of urge urinary incontinence in women 

UUI can develop or worsen through learned patterns, such as going to the bathroom too often. (Think of those “just in case” trips you take before you leave the house.) When you do this too often, your bladder may become used to emptying when it’s filled with only a small amount of urine. This can make you feel the need to pee more often, even when your bladder isn’t full. 

The need to pee urgently is a common feature of overactive bladder (OAB). However, not all people with OAB will experience leaks: they may have urgency without leakage.

A urinary tract infection can cause temporary urinary incontinence, too, by irritating your bladder lining and triggering it to contract. Hormonal changes can also contribute to the development of urinary incontinence: more on this to come.

What factors increase the risk of incontinence in women?

There are many factors that increase the risk of incontinence in women. Three of the most common include:

• Pregnancy

• Childbirth

• Aging and the menopause transition

Because these life events are so common, there is a misconception about incontinence. Many think it is a natural consequence of pregnancy, childbirth, and aging/menopause. This is why many women do not seek support for bladder leaking. 

Remember, just because something is common does not make it “natural.” Incontinence is not natural or normal. You don’t have to “just live with it”: you can prevent and treat it.

What is the connection between bladder control and vaginal tissue health?

The pelvic floor muscles and other tissues support both your bladder and vagina. If these tissues become weak or less elastic, this can lead to leakage.

If the tissues are quite weak or overstretched, you may develop pelvic organ prolapse. This is a condition where the pelvic organs lose support from your pelvic floor. One or more organs, such as your uterus, rectum, or bladder, drop down and push against your vaginal muscles. 

If you have pelvic organ prolapse, you may notice a bulge or a feeling of heaviness in your vagina. A pelvic examination can confirm prolapse. You may also experience urinary incontinence as a side effect of prolapse.

Even if you don’t have pelvic organ prolapse, remember that your vagina, bladder, and urethra are very close neighbors. The health of each one affects the others. By caring for your vaginal tissue, you’re also caring for your urethra and urinary system. Holistic care for all your pelvic tissues may improve bladder control. 

How does menopause affect pelvic floor weakness and bladder leakage?

During the menopause transition, estrogen levels decrease. This estrogen decline makes the muscles of the pelvic floor weaker and less elastic.  As you’ve learned, these changes in strength and elasticity can lead to leakage.

This weakening may be partly because estrogen helps your body maintain collagen. Collagen is a protein that strengthens the pelvic floor. With less estrogen, your body can’t make enough collagen to keep your pelvic floor tissues strong and supportive.

Weaker, less elastic pelvic floor muscles will struggle to keep your urethra closed throughout your day. Pee can leak out through the partially open urethra, especially when it’s stressed by exercise or other activity.

The decline in estrogen can also make it more likely for you to develop pelvic organ prolapse. When estrogen levels drop and the pelvic floor tissues weaken, prolapse can develop or progress. Often, prolapse leads to bladder leakage. 

Decreasing estrogen levels also cause changes to the tissue of the urethra itself. Nourishing blood flow to the urethra decreases. The urethra loses collagen content, making it less flexible and responsive to pressure changes. These changes can “trick” your urinary system into thinking you have to pee urgently, even if your bladder isn’t full.

How do pelvic floor exercises and vaginal tissue support work together to improve bladder control?

Combining pelvic floor exercises with vaginal tissue support can help you improve bladder control. Here’s how:

Pelvic floor exercises 

These exercises involve repeated contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. The contractions, also called “kegel exercises”, help increase the strength and coordination of the muscles that support the bladder and urethra. There are other kinds of pelvic floor exercises that can help, too. A pelvic floor physical therapist can help you ensure you’re performing the correct types of exercises.

Vaginal tissue support

Healthy vaginal and connective tissues provide support for the urethra. This support can help the urethra stay closed when you need it to, especially during activity. If you also experience leaks with sneezing, coughing, or exercising (i.e., stress incontinence) can help reduce those symptoms, too. 

A common pharmaceutical treatment for vaginal tissue support is vaginal estrogen cream. Your health care provider may recommend this if your incontinence started or got worse as your estrogen levels decreased. 

However, not everyone can or wants to use vaginal estrogen. Fortunately, there are natural alternatives that can help support your vaginal tissue health: let’s discuss those next.

What natural and hormone-free approaches can help reduce incontinence symptoms?

NeuEve has developed natural and hormone-free approaches that can help reduce your incontinence symptoms. Depending on the type and cause of the leakage, you may be able to successfully reduce leakage without surgery. 

You can use NeuEve products alongside vaginal estrogen or in place of it, like our happy customer from Hawaii: 

“I’ve used the salve for many years. (I’m 89) I even use it in conjunction with estradiol vaginal cream for incontinence. It soothes just where I need it.” 

 

Every day, NeuEve customers tell us how these products help them address symptoms of incontinence.

Nancy from the US (age 51-60) told us that after using Natural Drain for 3 weeks, her symptoms have already improved from moderate to slight:

“I’m definitely not getting as much leakage as I was… I urinated a lot with some pressure, and now I have less leakage.”

Nyrah (age 51-60) is also from the US. After using our Silk Vaginal Moisturizer, she went from having moderate symptoms to having no symptoms:

“Since using the product…the bladder leakage is definitely under control. Thank you, NeuEve. My life is back on track.”

What everyday habits and lifestyle changes can help women manage incontinence?

Many habits and lifestyle changes can help women manage incontinence. Some of these include:

Using pads, protective underwear, or adult diapers

These can help you stay comfortable and protect your vulvar skin from excess moisture from urine leaks. This kind of protection is especially helpful if incontinence interrupts your sleep. These don’t have to be a “forever fix”. Instead, think of them as a temporary help while you’re taking other steps to improve leakage.

Practicing Kegel exercises

When performed correctly, Kegel exercises can help strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles and improve their coordination. Depending on your type of incontinence, though, Kegels can cause more problems, especially if you’re performing them incorrectly. 

A pelvic floor physical therapist can help you determine if Kegels are right for you and teach you how to perform them properly.

Bladder training

This involves going to the bathroom to pee at set times. A bladder diary can help you set your starting schedule. Gradually, you increase the time between bathroom trips. 

This helps your bladder learn to hold urine longer before it signals the urge to go again. With consistent practice, bladder training can help improve bladder function.

Maintaining a healthy weight

Extra body weight can increase pressure on your bladder and pelvic muscles. This can lead to bladder control problems. Speak to your healthcare provider about creating a healthy meal plan and exercise routine that can help you manage weight.

Quitting smoking

Smoking can make urinary incontinence worse; quitting is critical for your bladder health. If you need support to quit, talk to your provider about a plan.

Keeping up your fluid intake

Many people try to drink less water to avoid leaks, but this can backfire. Dehydration concentrates your urine, which can irritate your bladder and make urgency worse. 

Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks helps more than decreasing your water intake. If nighttime bathroom trips disrupt your sleep, try drinking more water earlier in the day and reducing your intake in the evening.

Treating constipation

Constipation can also make urinary incontinence worse. Eating more fiber from plant-based sources can help with constipation. However, sometimes increasing fiber isn’t enough to fix stubborn constipation. If this sounds like you, talk to your provider for more support.

Finding relief from urinary incontinence 

Urinary incontinence may be common, but it doesn’t have to control your everyday life. At NeuEve, we’re dedicated to helping you find relief. For more information on how our natural products work alongside pelvic floor training and other urinary incontinence treatments, check out: How does NeuEve Enhance the Effect of Kegel Exercises for Common Urinary Issues?

Finally, to learn more about NeuEve's approach to incontinence, check out this video: "The Science of Urinary Incontinence in Women."

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