About Incontinence - Contributing Factors - Chronic Cough or Asthma
Medical Reviewer: Diana Hankey-Underwood, MS, WHNP-BC
Many people have urinary leakage when they cough, laugh or sneeze. This is called stress urinary incontinence (SUI). During surgery, childbirth, or with other physical stress, the muscles of the pelvic floor can become weak, and don’t support the bladder and urethra (the tube leading urine out of the body). This muscle weakness allows leaking during sneezing, coughing, picking up something heavy, or other similar activities.
In some cases, asthma or coughing all the time for many years can stretch the muscles of the pelvic floor and may make tiny tears in the muscles. These tears may cause stress urinary incontinence.
Prevention
In some cases, a chronic cough or asthma can't be prevented. However, in many cases smoking triggers the chronic cough or asthma. Some people stop leaking when they give up cigarettes. Pelvic floor exercises can help make the pelvic floor muscles stronger.
Treatment and Management
Many people who live with incontinence do not tell their doctors. In most cases incontinence can be treated or improved. You may want to talk with your health care provider about many of the available options:
Diana Hankey-Underwood, MS, WHNP-BC, is Executive Director of Grace Anatomy, Inc. She was recently awarded two National awards: the Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health Bayer Health Care 2007 Inspiration in Women’s Health Award and the National Association For Continence 2007 Continence Care Champion (CCC) award.
Her current work includes research on results of pelvic floor surgery, teaching classes on incontinence and working with international surgeons on improving the outcomes for children born with birth defects of the genitourinary and GI systems.
Page last modified 20 July 2009