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Sex, Exercise, and Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence has an annoying way of showing up at the most inopportune times.
You're jogging along, feeling great -- and then you realize your running shorts are damp with urine. Later that night, during a romantic rendezvous with your partner, a trickle of urine appears again, definitely spoiling the moment.
Lest you think stress urinary incontinence is a problem only of middle-aged or elderly women, think again. Surprisingly, young women actually have more stress incontinence during sex than older women, according to Amy Rosenman, MD, a gynecologist at Santa Monica -- UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, Calif., and co-author of The Incontinence Solution.
When incontinence occurs during intimate moments, women feel anxious, Rosenman says, even if they are in stable marriages. This could even lead to sexual dysfunction.
The same anxiety can occur during a workout, where you may end up with an embarrassing wet spot on your pants for the world to see.
Stress Incontinence Due to Weak Pelvic Floor Muscles
The problem, whether the stress incontinence occurs during exercise or sex, has a common denominator, says Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, professor emerita at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a sexuality researcher.
"Stress incontinence is related to the strength of the pelvic floor muscles," Whipple says. The weaker those muscles are, the more likely you are to have symptoms of stress incontinence -- leaking urine during physical activity, such as exercise, sex, sneezing, laughing or jumping--in the absence of bladder contraction.
While many women experience minor leakage from time to time, at any age, if it becomes more frequent or interferes with your normal routine, you should tell your doctor. There is an array of very effective treatments for stress incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is the most common cause of urinary incontinence in younger women and the second most common cause in older women.
If you have had several pregnancies and childbirths, your pelvic muscles and tissues may have gotten stretched and damaged. With age, the muscles can weaken, too, although stress incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging. Excess weight can also weaken pelvic floor muscles and cause stress incontinence.
Kegels Can Help Stress Incontinence
Strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor is crucial, experts agree.
One recommended way to do that is through Kegel exercises, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
First, some anatomy: at the bottom of the pelvis, many muscle layers stretch between your legs, attaching to the pelvic bones at the front, back and sides. If you think of the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine, those are the ones you will be targeting when doing your Kegels.
The how-to's: Pull in or squeeze the muscles, pretending you are trying to stop urine flow. You should hold that squeeze for about 10 seconds. Follow that by a 10-second rest. How many? Try three to four sets of 10 squeezes a day, recommends the AAFP.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
