Urinary Incontinence in Women
What Increases Your Risk
Sometimes several factors combine to cause urinary incontinence. For example, a woman may have had multiple childbirths, be older, and have a severe cough because of chronic bronchitis or smoking, all of which might contribute to her incontinence problem.
Physical conditions that make urinary incontinence more likely include:
- Pregnancy and vaginal delivery.
- Having had a hysterectomy.
- Obesity or being overweight.
- Older age.
- Bladder stones.
- A drop in estrogen after menopause.
- Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract.
- Blockage of the bladder.
- Chronic bladder infections.
Diseases and conditions that may result in urinary incontinence include:
- Chronic cough due to smoking or bronchitis.
- Diabetes.
- Parkinson's disease.
- Alzheimer's disease.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Bladder cancer.
- Stroke.
- Spinal cord injury.
Urinary incontinence may be made worse by:
- Medications that increase urine production, such as diuretics, or those that relax the bladder, such as bronchodilators.1
- Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, or some soda pop. (Caffeine affects urgency and how often you urinate.2)
- Smoking, which is often the start of a chronic cough and subsequent incontinence.3
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| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley | Last Updated: December 5, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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