Urinary incontinence

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence, sometimes referred to as urinary bladder incontinence, is the unintentional passing of urine, characterised by a frequent or urgent need to pee. This urgency can lead to bedwetting at night or leaks when rushing to the toilet. Some may also find it hard to start urinating or feel that their bladder doesn’t completely empty.

There are different types of urinary incontinence:

Stress incontinence: When pressure is applied to the bladder, like when you cough, it can cause urine to leak.
Urge incontinence: This is characterised by a sudden, intense need to urinate, often leading to leakage before reaching the restroom.
Mixed urinary incontinence: This is a mix of symptoms between stress incontinence and urge incontinence
Overflow incontinence: Occurs when the bladder doesn’t fully empty, leading to frequent leaking.
Total incontinence: A severe form of urinary incontinence where the bladder is unable to store any urine, leading to constant or frequent leaking.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Since there are so many different types of urinary bladder incontinence, each has its own unique causes and treatment approaches. It’s important to understand these distinctions when seeking treatment, as they guide the path to managing and overcoming the symptoms. Here’s a general guide:

• Overflow incontinence is often caused by a blockage or obstruction in the bladder, which prevents it from emptying fully. 
• Total incontinence may occur due to a birth condition, a spinal cord injury, or a fistula, which is a tiny opening between the bladder and another body part—resulting in continuous urine leakage.
• Stress incontinence is usually due to the weakening or damage of muscles responsible for preventing urination, such as the pelvic floor muscles or the urethral sphincter.
• Urge incontinence generally results from the overactivity of the muscles that control the bladder.

Both stress incontinence and urge incontinence can result from pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, obesity, ageing, genetics, and a range of other medical and lifestyle factors. 

What treatments are available for urinary incontinence?

If you’re wondering how to treat urinary incontinence, a comprehensive assessment with your GP or a urinary specialist is the first step. Given the varied causes of urinary incontinence and severity, treatment can involve lifestyle changes and pelvic floor exercises to medications or even surgery. 

At Cardiff Cosmetic Clinic, our groundbreaking, non-invasive urinary incontinence treatment, the Tesla Former Chair, is designed for those who need to regain bladder control by strengthening a weak pelvic floor. Each session involves simply sitting on the chair as it delivers up to 50,000 contractions to your pelvic region in just 30 minutes! With its targeted treatment approach, you can see significant improvements or even completely resolve urinary incontinence in as few as 8 sessions. The exact number of sessions required will depend on your individual condition and its severity.
We can’t wait to support you through every step of your journey to improved bladder health with our clinically proven urinary incontinence treatment. A better, more comfortable and confident quality of life awaits.