Why Do I Pee When I Sneeze?

Do you also suffer from the problem when you pee while you sneeze? There are chances that you might be dealing with the problem of stress incontinence which can be caused by childbirth, obesity, aging, and more.

Any sort of sudden stress on the body can lead to the issue of urine leakage. In this, the bladder is filled with urine, and the muscles become very weak, causing stress in the body, leading to sudden urine leakage while laughing, coughing, or sneezing. 

In this article, we will help you get familiar with certain problems that lead to stress, incontinence, and peeing.

After this, you can identify the cause of the problem and consider your treatment plan according to the severity.

Meaning of the Term Stress Incontinence

We address the loss of bladder control as urinary incontinence. Stress incontinence is a kind of urinary incontinence where urine leakage happens due to the exertion of heavy pressure on your bladder and urethra.

It is also common when the pelvic floor muscles or the urethral sphincter muscles become very weak or damaged to function.

Muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor give vast support to the urethra. Apart from this, the urethral sphincter muscles control the urine flow. When these muscles contract, urine stops flowing from your bladder to the urethra. 

When you need to pee, these muscles relax, helping the urine to flow with ease. If it happens, we assume that everything is in working order and there is nothing to worry about.

The weak muscles are more sensitive, so a slight increase in pressure, such as a sneeze, can cause them to relax. This is the point of their relaxation stage when you notice a small amount of pee escaping in the situation.

The Common Causes of Sneeze-Induced Urine Leakage

There are several causes of stress incontinence, so you should first figure out what’s causing it before looking for a solution.

When the muscles in your urinary tract become weakened, stress incontinence occurs. 

Here are the common causes of stress incontinence.

  • Childbirth

Stress incontinence is very common during pregnancy because it happens when pelvic floor muscles are very weak, and urine leaks from your bladder under the pressure of a cold cough or sneeze.

The women who have vagina delivery have more chances of urinary incontinence than the women who will get her delivery in cesarean section. 

  • Obesity

People with obesity can develop the chances of having stress incontinence while they cough or jump. This happens because obesity has placed pressure on the blood, creating problems in the blood and nerve supply.

The pelvic floor muscles should be in an accurate place to support excess abdominal fat and other organs.

  • Prostate Surgery

People with prostate surgery may experience the problem of stress incontinence and urine leakage with frequent intervals of time.

This is one of the side effects of prostate removal surgery as it surrounds the bladder, and radiation of treatment can damage the nerves and muscles, leading to urinary incontinence.

  • Aging

Many problems start occurring with aging, and stress incontinence is no exception. This is because the nervous muscles get weaker after menopause and after many vaginal deliveries. 

Sometimes, the pelvic muscles are so weak that small amounts of urine start leaking all the time. This cause of stress incontinence is quite common in females rather than males.

  • Injury

Certain injuries during the head, abdomen, or by lifting heavy objects can weaken the muscles around the pelvic region. 

The weakened nerves cause exertion, and the bladder leaks urine during all physical activities or while coughing, lifting, sneezing, and changing positions.

How Can You Treat it?

  • Medicines

Certain medicines can give you short-term relief with stress incontinence. The medicines include Estrogen tablets that can help block bladder contractions and relaxation.

Other than edible medicines, some ointments can also help solve the leakage problem. But, it does not work for everyone and only gives a short-term relief in mild to moderate stress incontinence.

  • Surgical Treatment

The following are surgical procedures for stress incontinence:

  1. A sling to support is created with the help of a urethral sling procedure.  In this,  a synthetic mesh is made of the urethra. This procedure is quite common in both men and women.
  1. Surgeons inject several bulking agents into urethral tissues to help in the closure of the sphincter, which causes leakage.
  1. Surgeons use Sutures to give support to the bladder and urethra.
  1. There is an implant of an inflatable artificial sphincter surgically that a pump controls, acting like a sphincter in men.
  • Non-Surgical Treatment 

It is possible to treat stress incontinence without surgery. Your doctor may recommend the following non-surgical treatments for a faster relief:

  1. Doing pelvic floor exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
  1. To reinforce muscle contractions by using biofeedback in conjunction with pelvic exercises.
  1. A vaginal pessary is a device you insert into your vagina to give support.
  1. Urethral inserts are small tubes that you insert into your urethra to keep it from leaking while doing work.
  1. The usage of estrogen cream may help postmenopausal women strengthen the muscles in the vaginal and urethral openings.
  • Changing In Routine

Changing behavior, lifestyle and routine is always the best option that helps cure the root of all the problems. 

These lifestyle changes include avoiding caffeine as much as possible, going for a healthy and nutritious meal, losing weight, keeping your blood sugar level in control, etc.

Once you inculcate all the healthy options in your diet and routine, you can see the change within yourself and your body which no other medical and surgical treatments can do.

Final Thoughts

Stress incontinence can be more common in women than men and may become an embarrassing issue.

You can try out all the above methods to effectively treat stress incontinence. Nonetheless, a doctor can guide you about the best treatment plans for you.

Similar Posts:

About the author

I have always been a shopaholic. A lot of times my questions went unanswered when it came to retail questions, so I started Talk Radio News. - Caitlyn Johnson

Leave a Comment