Stress incontinence is the physical failure to control the urge to urinate when there is pressure on your bladder or abdomen. Stress incontinence refers to the bladder’s reaction to physical stress. This stress or pressure occurs with physical activity, such as jumping, running, laughing, sneezing, coughing, or even by standing from a sitting position.
Causes and Symptoms
Stress incontinence is a result of internal and external factors affecting the functioning of bladder, specifically the urethra tube. These factors can stimulate the urethra to open and allow urine leakage. It can happen with weak pelvic floor muscles or a damaged urethral sphincter (which is a round muscle that forces the urethra to remain closed).
women are twice as likely as men to suffer from involuntary leakage. The most common causes of stress incontinence among women are pregnancy and childbirth. During pregnancy and childbirth, the sphincter and pelvic muscles stretch out and are weakened (in case of malnutrition).
Older age and conditions that cause a chronic cough can also cause stress incontinence. This condition can also be a side effect of pelvic surgery.
Some women only suffer from stress incontinence during the week before they get their period. Sometimes that estrogen drops during the phase of menstrual cycle, which can weaken the urethra. This is not common though.
Among men, prostate surgery is a common cause of stress incontinence. The prostate gland surrounds the male urethra, and its removal (even partially) can result in the loss of support of the urethra.
Other risk factors for stress incontinence include:
- smoking – chronic cough,
- any other condition associated with chronic cough,
- excessive caffeine and alcohol use,
- obesity,
- constipation,
- long-term participation in high-impact activities,
- hormonal deficiencies.
Some of the issues leading to stress incontinence may include:
- Bladder damage from a hysterectomy or prostate surgery,
- Excessive abdominal pressure from obesity or pregnancy,
- Nerve and tissue damage as a result of childbirth,
- Brain and spinal cord functioning issues, such as Parkinson’s disease,
- Connective tissue disorders,
- Allopathic medication side effects,
- Coughing and sneezing due to smoking,
- Years of high impact physical activities.
Stress vs. Urge Incontinence
Having urinary incontinence is a harsh reality for many people. This condition has different categories, with the most common ones being stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
1. Stress Incontinence
This condition happens when a force of pressure causes the bladder muscles to contract, resulting in a sudden urine leakage. This type of incontinence is stimulated by certain physical activities like laughing, sneezing, coughing, lifting, or exercise.
Bladder control problems tend to affect young to middle-aged females in response to their body’s unique issues. Young women often experience it after childbirth or from having weak pelvic floor muscles, mostly as a result of heredity. For those women in their 40s and 50s, stress incontinence may be present with the onset of menopause.
2. Urge Incontinence
This form of urinary incontinence occurs with an incapability to avoid urinating when the urge arises, and it is also known as overactive bladder condition. It may be the result of damage to the nerves and muscles in the bladder, trauma to connecting parts of the nervous system, infections, or medications.
Being unable to hold it long enough to reach a washroom/toilet is often a result of various health conditions. These may include diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or a stroke. Urge incontinence can also indicate bladder cancer.
Stress Incontinence Risk Factors and Complications
The factors causing stress incontinence have a direct and indirect link to the risk factors of the condition.
1. Age
The aging process itself is not considered a direct cause, but as our body changes over time, the results play a part in whether we experience stress incontinence. It can also include weakening of the bladder muscles.
2. Childbirth
During a childbirth, delivery may cause trauma or damage that leads to stress incontinence.
3. Body Weight
Since physical pressure causes stress incontinence, those with extra pounds are at a higher risk for this condition.
4. Surgery
Prostate surgery or a hysterectomy increases the risk for stress incontinence. These procedures can change the functioning of the bladder. The complications of stress incontinence can be the result of physical and emotional consequences.
5. Urinary Incontinence
By experiencing stress incontinence, it can also lead to another form of urinary incontinence known as urge incontinence. While these conditions differ, one can led to the other.
6. Psychological Distress
Having stress incontinence can cause emotional stress as you are conscious about avoiding behavior that stimulates the urine leakage such as laughing or coughing. A person may withdraw from family, friends, and relationships.
7. Skin Irritation
The regions of the skin that come in contact with any urine can become raw and infected by skin rashes.
Stress Incontinence Exercises
If you have stress incontinence, you can strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles with targeted exercises known as Kegel exercises. These exercises are to tone and tighten these muscles without any surgical or chemical rehabilitation. The goal is to prevent urine leakage by improving the capability of the sphincter muscle.
Allopathic treatment for Urinary Incontinence
There are many ways to treat UI, treatment plan is directed at the underlying cause. 
Medication Options
There is not any treatment in allopathy for stress incontinence, these drugs are commonly used to treat UI, specifically urge incontinence:
- To calm overactive bladders and help suppress urge incontinence: oxybutynin, tolterodine, darifenacin, fesoterodine, solifenacin, and trospium.
- Mirabegron treats urge incontinence by relaxing the bladder muscle and increasing bladder capacity, helping you completely void your bladder.
- For men with urge or overflow incontinence, alpha blockers relax bladder neck muscles and prostate muscle fibers, enabling easier emptying of the bladder: tamsulosin, alfuzosin, silodosin, doxazosin, and terazosin.
- For women, a low-dose topical estrogen in the form of a vaginal cream, ring, or patch can help strengthen urethra and vaginal area tissues. (Warning: The pill version may make UI worse.)
Surgery or Implants
The two most common surgical procedures used to treat stress incontinence include sling procedures (there are male and female sling designs) and bladder neck suspension procedures.
Sacral nerve stimulation is sometimes used to treat overactive bladder. This treatment involves a surgical procedure that implants a small device below the skin of the buttock. This device periodically generates a mild electrical stimulation to the sacral nerves, which results in increased tension in the bladder, sphincter, and pelvic floor muscles.
With injectable implants, a doctor injects material into the urethra wall to bulk up and tighten the tissue. This stops urine leakage and incontinence caused by a weak sphincter muscle.
Homeopathic Treatment for Stress Incontinence
Here are some Homeopathic medicines for the treatment of the stress incontinence:
Baryta Carbonica
The prime medicines for urine incontinence due to prostate complaints are Baryta Carbonicum; Frequent inclination to urinate, with abundant emission. Urgent inclination/Urging to urinate; urine can hardly be retained, during urination, burning in urethra, Diminution of sexual desire in women.
Iodum
Iodum is rated as one of the best medicines for urine incontinence, Hardness of the prostate gland.
Prunus Spinosa
Prunus Spinosa is a very effective option in urine incontinences where the urine seems to pass as far as glans and then returns, causing pain in the urethra, hurriedly impelled to urinate; the urine seems to pass as far as glans, and then returns and causes pain in urethra. 
Lilium Tigrinum
Urine incontinence due to uterus problems, Lilium Tigrinum is a good option. Frequent urination during day, with smarting in urethra. Continuous pressure in bladder. Constant desire to urinate, with scanty discharge; burning (tenesmus) and smarting in urethra after. Bearing down sensation of heavy weight and pressure in uterine region, as if whole contents would press out through vagina.
Guaiacum
Guaiacum is very effective for urine incontinence in women who complain of a sharp, stitching pain after urinating, urging to urinate, even after micturition. The urine is profuse, and fetid. Cutting in urethra while urine flows. Stitching in neck of bladder after ineffectual urging to urinate. Emissions without dreams. Discharge from urethra.
Senecio Aureus
Senecio Aureus works very well in women who feel a constant urge to urinate, together with great heat, making it stand out among the best medicines for urine incontinence of this type. Men with involuntary emissions, Prostate enlarged, Tenesmus of bladder, smarting in urethra, dropsy. Hematuria; renal pain with nausea. Tenesmus of bladder, with heat and urging. Irritation of bladder in children, preceded by heat and headache. Renal colic with or without nausea. Chronic inflammation of neck of bladder with bloody urine and tenesmus of bladder. Chronic inflammation of kidneys, Prostate gland enlarged, feels hard and swollen to touch.
Dysuria: of women and children, evidently of catarrhal origin; mucous sediment in urine; with uterine displacement. Smarting in fossa naviculars before urination.
Causticum
Causticum is one of the most effective medicines for urine incontinence with involuntary when coughing, sneezing. Expelled very slowly and sometimes retained. Involuntary during first sleep at night; also, from slightest excitement. Retention after surgical operations. Loss of sensibility on passing urine. Uterine inertia during labor
Natrum Muriaticum
Pain just after urinating. Increased, involuntary when walking, coughing, etc. Has to wait a long time for it to pass if others are present.
Sarsaparilla
Urine dribbles while sitting. Bladder distended and tender. Child screams before and while passing urine. Tenesmus of bladder; urine passes in thin, feeble stream. Pain at meatus.
Hepar Sulph
Voided slowly, without force-drops vertically, bladder weak. Seems as if some always remained. Greasy pellicle on urine. Bladder difficulties of old men. 
Copaiva
Burning pressure; painful micturition by drops. Retention, with pain in bladder, anus, and rectum. Catarrh of bladder; dysuria. Swelling of orifice. Constant desire to urinate.
Pulsatilla Protensis
Increased desire; worse when lying down. Burning in orifice of urethra during and after micturition. Involuntary micturition at night, while coughing or passing flatus. After urinating, spasmodic pain in bladder.
Orchitis; pain from abdomen to testicles. Thick, yellow discharge from urethra, Acute prostatitis. Pain and tenesmus in urinating, worse lying on back.
Cantharis
Cantharis is one of the most reliable medicines for urine incontinence where there is a constant desire to urinate. In cases where the urge to urinate is very strong but the person can emit urine only when he goes down on his knees and strains really hard, Involuntary when coughing, sneezing (Puls). Expelled very slowly and sometimes retained. Involuntary during first sleep at night; also from slightest excitement. Retention after surgical operations. Loss of sensibility on passing urine. Uterine inertia during labor.
This weakness progresses until we have gradually appeared paralysis. Local paralysis, vocal cords, muscles of deglutition, of tongue, eyelids, face, bladder and extremities.
Pareira Brava
Pareira Brava is one of the most reliable prescriptions, Constant urging, great straining. For ineffectual urge to urinate in newly married women.
Prostatic affections, and catarrh of bladder. Sensation as if bladder were distended, with pain. Pain going down thigh. Feeling of the bladder being distended and neuralgic pain in the anterior rural region. (Staph.) Dribbling after micturition. (Selen.) Violent pain in glans penis. Itching along urethra; urethritis, with prostatic trouble. Inflammation of urethra; becomes almost cartilaginous.
Staphysagria
Staphysagria is the best for nervous affections with marked irritability, diseases of the Genito-urinary tract. Ineffectual urging to urinate in newly married women. Pressure upon bladder; feels as if it did not empty. Sensation as if a drop of urine were rolling continuously along the channel. Burning in urethra during micturition. Prostatic troubles: frequent urination, burning in urethra when not urinating
Sulphur
Sulphur is very effective in cases with pain in the bladder if the urge to urinate is not attended, Frequent micturition, especially at night. Enuresis, especially in scrofulous, untidy children. Burning in urethra during micturition, lasts long after. Mucus and pus in urine; parts sore over which it passes. Must hurry, sudden call to urinate. Great quantities of colorless urine. Pudenda itches. Vagina burns. Much offensive perspiration. Stitches in penis. Involuntary emissions. Itching of genitals when going to bed. 
Clematis
Clematis patients need to strain hard to pass even a few drops of urine. Urine that suddenly stops and starts is also treated well with medicine Clematis, tingling in urethra lasting sometime after urinating. Frequent, scanty urination; burning at orifice. Interrupted flow. Urethra feels constricted. Urine emitted drop by drop. Inability to pass all the urine; dribbling after urinating. Pain worse at night, pain along the spermatic cord. Commencing stricture.
Zingiber
One of the top-rated medicines for urine incontinence in cases where the urine continues to ooze in drops even after urinating is.
Frequent desire to urinate. Stinging, burning in orifice. Yellow discharge from urethra. Urine thick, turbid, of strong odor, suppressed. Complete suppression after typhoid. After urinating, continues to ooze in drops.
Equisetum Hymenale
Equisetum Hymenale, Principal action on the bladder. A remedy for enuresis and dysuria. Severe, dull pain and feeling of fullness in bladder, not relieved by urinating. Frequent urging with severe pain at the close of urination. Urine flows only drop by drop. Sharp, burning, cutting pain in urethra while urinating.
Incontinence in children, with dreams or nightmares when passing urine. Incontinence in old women, also with involuntary stools. Retention and dysuria during pregnancy and after delivery. Much mucus in urine. Albuminuria. Involuntary urination.
Caina Maritima
Caina, this is a children’s remedy; big, fat, rosy, scrofulous, corresponding to many conditions that may be referred to intestinal irritation, such as worms and accompanying complaints. An irritability of temper, variable appetite, grinding of teeth, and even convulsions, with screams and violent jerking of the hands and feet, child is very irritable and nervous. Kreosotum has proved itself as one of the most useful medicines for bedwetting in children, especially when it is very difficult to wake the child even as he wets the bed.
The three prominent medicines for urine incontinence in the elderly include Alumina, Alfa Alfa and Secale Cornutum. Alumina, one of the top-grade Homeopathic medicines for urine incontinence, treat the condition most effectively in the elderly. Alfa Alfa is prescribed where the elderly feel a frequent urge to urinate as the kidneys are inactive. Secale Cornutum is rated among the best medicines for urine incontinence involving involuntarily urination in elderly who have suffered a paralysis of the bladder.
Arnica Montana
Bladder feels sore and full, pressure of urine hurts. Involuntary dribbling with constant urging. Involuntary emission of urine, at night in bed, and in the day, when running. Retention of urine after over exertion, after labor. After mechanical injuries.
Apis Mellifica
Apathy, indifference, and unconsciousness. Awkward, has incontinence of urine at night. Patient cannot urinate without a stool. Dysuria with stinging pain. Last drop stings and burns, frequent and involuntary. An increased flow of urine shows that the drug is having a favorable effect. Urine frequent and involuntary; stinging pain and strangury; scanty, high colored. Incontinence. Last drops burn and smart.
Kreosotum
One of the best medicines for urinary incontinence. Malnutrition, lean, ill-developed, poor people. Offensive urine. They can urinate only during lying and they cannot get out of bed quickly enough during first sleep. There is enuresis in night during first part of sleep, from which child is roused with difficulty. Must hurry when desire comes to urinate. Urination involuntary, when lying, on coughing. Wets bed at night, wakes with urging, but can’t retain urine, or dreams he is urinating in a decent manner.
Lycopodium
For persons intellectually keen, but physically weak, gradually developing, functional power weakening, with failures of the digestive powers, where the function of the liver is seriously disturbed. Atony. Malnutrition. Mild temperaments of lymphatic constitution, with catarrhal tendencies; older persons, where the skin shows yellowish spots, earthy complexion, uric acid diathesis, etc; also precocious, weakly children. Complaints are from anger, mortification, fright, or vexation with reserved displeasure. Borick Materia Medica says. In nearly all cases where Lycopodium is the remedy, some evidence of urinary or digestive disturbance will be found. Urinary symptoms include involuntary urination especially in fever. Long lasting incontinence of urine resulting from fright during coition. Polyuria. Enlarged prostate. Varicose veins of pudenda.
Phosphorus
This drug is indicated for tall slender persons of sanguine temperament, delicate eyelashes, fair skin, fine blond, or red hair, quick perceptions, and are very sensitive nature. Very useful remedy for urge incontinence and overflow incontinence. Sudden urge to urinate without pain when it is passing. Urine is acrid and smells offensive. Involuntary urination in children who grow too rapidly. Incontinence of urine in aged persons from paralysis of sphincter. Full bladder but causing no trouble or desire to urinate; unable to pass urine or incontinence, both from paralysis of bladder. Involuntary stools.
Psorinum
Debility, independent of any organic disease, weakness remaining after acute disease. Lack of reaction. Muscular pseudohypertrophy, neuritis. Paralytic symptoms. Ailments are from even slight emotions, suppression of itch or in other skin diseases, when Sulphur remedy fails to relieve. Has to pass urine several times, from weakness of bladder. Enuresis is from bladder paresis, which has aggravation at full moon, also for obstinate cases, with a family history of eczema. Urine is thick, turbid, whitish or red deposit, with formation of cuticle on surface of urine. Escape of urine during coughing. Urine incontinence.
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Tendency to abortion. Hot flashes at menopause with weakness and perspiration. Bed wetting, stress and urge incontinence. Its symptoms include involuntary urination, during first sleep; child passes urine as soon as he goes to sleep. Involuntary urination aggravates coughing, sneezing, laughing, hearing sudden noise, fright or inattention, esp. in women. Urine incontinence. Enuresis nocturnal in boys of light complexion; in onanists. Involuntary urination if desire is not immediately complied with. Urine deposits a reddish clay-colored sediment which adheres to the vessel as if it had been burned on; fetid, so offensive must be removed from the room is most important symptom for differentiation. Involuntary urination, during first sleep. Chronic cystitis, slow micturition. Pelvic organs relaxed. Bearing-down sensation.
Staphysagria
Nervous affections with marked irritability, diseases of the genitourinary tract. Sensitive to rudeness, depressed people. Irritable bladder in young ladies. Indignation, mortification, envy, chagrin, pride, unmerited insults, vexation or reserved displeasure and for the bad effects sexual excesses, onanism and loss of vital fluids. Staphysagria is useful for stress and urge incontinence. Incontinence from infection, Honeymoon cystitis. Involuntary and copious micturition, esp. on coughing. Involuntary discharge of urine – urine incontinence, acrid and corroding, aggravates motion. Ailments after catheter, lithotomy. Sphincters lacerated or stretched. Prostatic troubles; frequent urination.
Kali Bichromium
Note- Never use any Salts of Potash where there is fever. Fleshy aged people, with dropsical and paretic tendencies, sweat, backache, and weakness. Tendency to dropsy. Tubercular diathesis. Nocturnal urination (rise several times at night to urinate). Pressure on bladder long before urine comes. Urine incontinence. Involuntary urination when coughing, sneezing, etc.
Alumina
Paretic muscular states of old people or due to chronic illness. Muscles of bladder paretic must strain at stool in order to urinate. Pain in kidneys, with mental confusion. Urine Incontinence. Frequent desire to urinate in old people. Difficult starting. Excessive desire. Involuntary emissions when straining at stool. Prostatic discharge.
Secale Cornutum
Paralysis of bladder. Retention, with unsuccessful urging. Discharge of black blood from bladder. Enuresis in old people. Muscular weakness.
P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).
For proper consultation and treatment, please visit our clinic.
None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.
Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.
Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.
Location: Al-Haytham clinic, Umer Farooq Chowk Risalpur Sadder (0923631023, 03119884588), K.P.K, Pakistan.
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