Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)
Q: What is Stress Urinary Incontinence or SUI?
Dr. Donnica: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common form
of urinary incontinence among women around the world. In the United States alone
it affects one in three women over the age of 18, or approximately 30 million
women! Many women who would like relief from their SUI do not actively seek
treatment for the condition or even discuss it with their physicians due to
embarrassment, stigma, fear of surgery, or a mistaken belief that the condition
is a normal part of aging.
SUI is the involuntary leakage of urine brought on by "stress" or
pressure upon the bladder as a result of laughing, coughing, sneezing, lifting,
or exercise. Leakage occurs because the muscles and tissues that work to hold
urine in the bladder during physical activity become weak or damaged and are
unable to remain closed when bladder pressure increases suddenly, as with a
sneeze. Childbirth and uterine prolapse are common causes of SUI.
For more information on SUI, click here.
Created: 7/30/2002 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
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