Urinary Incontinence in Women

Sometimes several factors combine to cause urinary incontinence. For example, a woman may have had multiple childbirths, be older, and have a severe cough because of chronic bronchitis or smoking, all of which might contribute to her incontinence problem.

Physical conditions that make urinary incontinence more likely include:

• Pregnancy and vaginal delivery.
• Having had a hysterectomy.
• Obesity or being overweight.
• Older age.
• Bladder stones.
• A drop in estrogen after menopause.
• Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract.
• Blockage of the bladder.
• Chronic bladder infections.

Diseases and conditions that may result in urinary incontinence include:

• Chronic cough due to smoking or bronchitis.
• Diabetes.
• Parkinson's disease.
• Alzheimer's disease.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Bladder cancer.
• Stroke.
• Spinal cord injury.

Urinary incontinence may be made worse by:

• Medications that increase urine production, such as diuretics, or those that relax the bladder, such as bronchodilators.¹
• Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, or some soda pop. (Caffeine affects urgency and how often you urinate.²)
• Smoking, which is often the start of a chronic cough and subsequent incontinence.³