Stress Urinary IncontinenceSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Stress Urinary Incontinence
View Main Condition: Urinary Incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence occurs when your bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. It may happen when you cough, sneeze, lift something heavy, change positions, or exercise.
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Stress urinary incontinence occurs when the tissue that supports your urethra gets weak.
- The bladder and urethra are supported by the pelvic floor muscles. Urine flows from your bladder through your urethra to the outside.
- The urinary sphincter is a muscle around the opening of the bladder. It squeezes to prevent urine from leaking through the urethra.
When either set of muscles become weak, urine can pass when pressure is placed on your bladder. You may notice it when you:
- Cough
- Sneeze
- Laugh
- Exercise
- Lift heavy objects
- Have sex
Weakened pelvic floor muscles may be caused by:
- Childbirth
- Injury to the urethra area
- Some medicines
- Surgery in the pelvic area or the prostate (in men)
- Being overweight
- Unknown causes
Stress incontinence is common in women. Some things increase your risk, such as:
- Pregnancy and vaginal delivery.
- Pelvic prolapse. This is when your bladder, urethra, or rectum slide into the vagina. Delivering a baby can cause nerve or tissue damage in the pelvic area. This can lead to pelvic prolapse months or years after delivery.
The main symptom of stress incontinence is leaking urine when you:
- Are physically active
- Cough or sneeze
- Exercise
- Stand from a sitting or lying down position
The treatment depends on how your symptoms affect your life.
There are 3 types of treatment for stress incontinence:
- Behavior changes and bladder training
- Pelvic floor muscle training
- Surgery
There are no medicines for treatment of stress incontinence. Some providers may prescribe a medicine called duloxetine as an off-label usage. This medicine is not approved by FDA for the treatment of stress incontinence.
BEHAVIOR CHANGES
Making these changes may help:
- Drink less fluid if you drink more than normal amounts of fluid. Avoid drinking water before going to bed.
- Avoid jumping or running.
- Take fiber to avoid constipation, which can make stress urinary incontinence worse.
- Quit smoking. This can reduce coughing and bladder irritation. Smoking also increases your risk for bladder cancer.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee. They can make your bladder fill up quicker.
- Lose excess weight.
- Avoid foods and drinks that may irritate your bladder. These include spicy foods, carbonated drinks, and citrus.
- If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under good control.
BLADDER TRAINING
Bladder training may help you control your bladder. You will be asked to urinate at regular intervals. Slowly, the time interval is increased. This causes the bladder to stretch and hold more urine.
PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE TRAINING
There are different ways to strengthen the muscles in your pelvic floor.
- Biofeedback: This method can help you learn to identify and control your pelvic floor muscles.
- Kegel exercises: These exercises can help keep the muscle around your urethra strong and working well. This may help keep you from leaking urine.
- Vaginal cones: You place the cone into the vagina. Then you try to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles to hold the cone in place. You can wear the cone for up to 15 minutes at a time, two times a day. You may notice improvement in your symptoms in 4 to 6 weeks.
- Pelvic floor physical therapy: Physical therapists specially trained in the area can fully evaluate the problem and help with exercises and therapies.
SURGERIES
If other treatments do not work, your provider may suggest surgery. Surgery may help if you have bothersome stress incontinence. Most providers suggest surgery only after trying nonsurgical treatments.
- Anterior vaginal repair helps restore weak and sagging vaginal walls. This is used when the bladder bulges into the vagina (prolapse). Prolapse may be associated with stress urinary incontinence.
- Artificial urinary sphincter: This is a device used to keep urine from leaking. It is used mainly in men. It is rarely used in women.
- Bulking injections make the area around the urethra thicker. This helps control leakage. The procedure may need to be repeated after a few months or years.
- Urethral sling is a mesh tape used to put pressure on the urethra. It can be used in men and women. It is easier to do than placing an artificial urinary sphincter.
- Retropubic suspensions lift the bladder and urethra. This is done less often due to the frequent use and success with urethral slings.
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Howard Goldman is a Urologist practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been practicing medicine for over 39 years. Dr. Goldman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Urinary Incontinence, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Frequent or Urgent Urination, Sacral Nerve Stimulation, and Endoscopy. Dr. Goldman is board certified in American Board Of Urology, 2013.
Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Urology Clinic
Larry Sirls is a Urologist practicing medicine in Royal Oak, Michigan. He has been practicing medicine for over 39 years. Dr. Sirls is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence. He is also highly rated in 6 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Stress Urinary Incontinence, Uterine Prolapse, Urinary Incontinence, and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Dr. Sirls is board certified in American Board Of Urology and American Board Of Urology. Dr. Sirls is currently accepting new patients.
Northwell Health Physician Partners At Syosset
Dr. Bilal Chughtai, Chief of Urology at Plainview Hospital, completed his medical degree at Stony Brook University, followed by residency in urologic surgery at Albany Medical Center. He completed his fellowship in Male Voiding Dysfunction, Neuro-Urology, Female Pelvic Medicine Reconstructive Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.Dr. Chughtai specializes in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Male Voiding Dysfunction. He maintains a deep, longitudinal interest in these highly prevalent and debilitating conditions and has focused both his clinical, research, and teaching activities on these areas.Dr. Chughtai's mentorship in clinical and basic science research projects has enabled his team to be investigators in numerous clinical trials, as well as translational, and outcomes research including National Institute of Health and industry support. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles, chapters in urologic texts, 4 textbooks, and has presented extensively at national and international meetings. Dr. Chughtai is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Enlarged Prostate (BPH), Urinary Incontinence, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Aquablation, and Prostatectomy. Dr. Chughtai is board certified in American Board Of Urology and American Board Of Urology/Urogynecology And Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery.
Getting better takes time, so try to be patient. Symptoms most often get better with nonsurgical treatments. However, they will not cure stress incontinence. Surgery can cure most people of stress incontinence.
Treatment does not work as well if you have:
- Conditions that prevent healing or make surgery more difficult
- Other genital or urinary problems
- Past surgery that did not work
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Neurologic disease
- Previous radiation to the pelvis
Physical complications are rare and most often mild. They can include:
- Irritation of the vagina lips (labia and vulva)
- Skin sores or pressure ulcers in people who have incontinence and can't get out of the bed or chair
- Unpleasant odors
- Urinary tract infections
The condition may get in the way of social activities, careers, and relationships. It also may lead to:
- Embarrassment
- Isolation
- Depression or anxiety
- Loss of productivity at work
- Loss of interest in sexual activity
- Sleep disturbances
Complications associated with surgery include:
- Fistulas or abscesses
- Bladder or intestine injury
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Urinary incontinence -- if you have trouble urinating you may need to use a catheter. This is often temporary
- Pain during intercourse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Wearing away of materials placed during surgery, such as a sling or artificial sphincter
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of stress incontinence and they bother you.
Doing Kegel exercises may help prevent symptoms. Women may want to do Kegels during and after pregnancy to help prevent incontinence.
Background: Men who are treated for prostate cancer often develop urinary leakage (incontinence). An experimental device that uses electrical impulses to stimulate pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues may help.
Summary: The objective of this single arm, post market, clinical study is to evaluate the performance of Gynecare TVT ABBREVO® Continence System in women undergoing Mid-urethral sling surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI).
Published Date: January 12, 2026
Published By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Al-Mousa R, Hashim H. Evaluation and management of males with urinary incontinence. In: Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, et al, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 106.
Kobashi KC, Vasavada S, Bloschichak A, et al. Updates to surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI): AUA/SUFU Guideline (2023). J Urol. 2023;209(6):1091-1098 PMID: 37096580 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37096580/.
Lentz G, Miller J. Lower urinary tract function and disorders: Physiology of micturition, voiding dysfunction, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and painful bladder syndrome. In: Gershenson DM, Lentz GM, Valea FA, Lobo RA, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 21.
Resnick NM, DuBeau CE. Urinary incontinence. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 115.
Tam J, Lee UJ. Evaluation and management of women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. In: Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, et al, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 105.