What is Stress Urinary Incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence, or SUI, is the body's inability to prevent accidental leakage of urine when pressure is exerted on the abdomen. It can result from weakened muscles supporting the bladder or urethra. And it can seriously affect your life, making it difficult to do the things you love—or even the things we take for granted in everyday life, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or climbing the stairs, without getting wet.
It's common.
Over 13 million American women experience some sort of urine leakage. And SUI is the most common type.
It's nothing to be embarrassed about.
Some people lose their ability to see without glasses. Others lose their ability to hear. Just like any other system in your body, the urinary tract can stop functioning optimally. And that's nothing to be ashamed of.
It's not inevitable.
People used to think SUI came with the territory of aging. But the truth is, it's a condition that affects both young women and old, and can be related to a number of factors, including pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, strenuous exercise, menopause, and gynecologic surgery. And unfortunately, ignoring it can't help and won't make it go away.
It's treatable.
SUI isn't a disease; it's a condition that can be successfully treated. And that's the good news.
