Urinary Incontinence Risk Factors

Could this happen to me?

Urinary incontinence is a far too common problem for women. In fact, approximately 1 out of 3 women over the age of 45, and 1 out of every 2 women over 65 are incontinent. To understand how your health and life choices may impact your chances of developing urinary incontinence down the road, you should be aware of these important risk factors:

	Pregnancy Childbirth or multiple births Aging Prior pelvic surgery, including hysterectomy Medical conditions Obesity Ethnicity Trauma and radiation

Pregnancy

With all the stretching and strain placed on a woman’s body during pregnancy, is it any wonder that the pelvic floor muscles may become weakened?

In a comparison of women who had not had children yet, a link between pregnancy and urinary incontinence was shown. It found that those who were pregnant leaked more often than those who were not. Another study discovered that stress urinary incontinence affected about half of women during pregnancy, though the symptoms resolved shortly after delivery for many of them. In some cases however, those symptoms disappeared, only to return years later. In short, some women may lose pelvic floor muscle strength or their bladder neck may descend after delivery, predisposing them to stress urinary incontinence.

Childbirth or multiple births

Sometimes the stresses and strains of childbirth can weaken or damage a woman’s pelvic floor muscles, leading to urinary incontinence—a condition even more common for women who have had multiple deliveries, delivered a large baby, or experienced a difficult childbirth. Because of this, you may want to talk with your doctor about your concerns before your delivery.

Aging

Urinary incontinence remains a common condition among women of all ages, although the prevalence varies depending on the specific type of incontinence. In the case of stress urinary incontinence, the risk of experiencing symptoms increases over time because women often lose muscle strength and tone as they age. In fact, while 33% of women over the age of 45 suffer from urinary incontinence, that number goes up to 50% for women over 65. Stress urinary incontinence usually peaks around the fifth decade. Mixed incontinence however, becomes more common in older women.

Prior pelvic surgery, including hysterectomy

Some studies have reported hysterectomy as a stress urinary incontinence risk factor, while other studies have not found a conclusive link. If you are planning a hysterectomy or other pelvic surgery, speak to your physician about any concerns you may have.

Medical conditions

Thyroid problems have been shown to increase a woman’s risk for stress urinary incontinence, while smoking increases the risk for all three types of urinary incontinence. Nervous system disorders, such as Alzheimers, dementia, or Parkinson’s can affect the muscles that control urine flow and may be a risk for urge incontinence.

Obesity

A higher BMI is generally associated with an increased risk for all three types of urinary incontinence, as the added weight places a greater strain on a woman’s pelvic floor muscles and ligaments.

Ethnicity

Caucasian women have a higher prevalence of all types of urinary incontinence when compared to African-American women, and a higher prevalence of mixed urinary incontinence than Hispanic women.

Trauma and radiation

Both trauma and radiation may also be risk factors for developing urinary incontinence.