Does Obesity Cause Incontinence? How Does It Affect Urinary System?
Does obesity cause incontinence? This is a question that has been debated by many, and there are two sides to this argument.
The issue of obesity and incontinence is an important one, as chronic urinary leakage creates a great deal of unhappiness among the obese population.
Does obesity cause incontinence?
Firstly, it is important to understand what obesity is. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) over 30.
A person’s BMI is calculated by taking their weight and dividing it by the height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2 ).
A person who is 5’5″ would need to weigh at least 166 pounds in order to be considered obese. When someone is obese, it can cause incontinence, which results in losing control over urination.
How does being overweight affect the urinary system?
When a person becomes overweight, fat tissue surrounds the bladder in both men and women. This fat tissue can push on the bladder, reducing its capacity. In turn, this makes it harder for a person to hold their urine until they get to a bathroom.
The more obese a person is the greater pressure placed on the bladder by the surrounding fat tissue. This loss of control over urination becomes increasingly worse as a person becomes more obese.
Secondly, it is important to define incontinence. According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), incontinence is defined as involuntary leakage of urine occurring when a person has the urge to urinate.
There are three different types of incontinence: overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI).
Overactive bladder is described as having an urgent or frequent need to urinate. This type of incontinence can be caused by either bladder spasms or an overactive bladder muscle.
Stress urinary incontinence is leakage that happens when a person is exposed to something that increases pressure within the abdominal cavity, such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting something.
Obesity poses a serious threat to the health of both men and women, especially when it comes to urinary incontinence.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), obesity is associated with more than one-third of all cases of urinary incontinence. When a person becomes obese, they are at risk for developing both types of incontinence: SUI and MUI.
Obesity increases the risk of developing an overactive bladder, which is caused by an increased amount of pressure placed on the bladder by surrounding fats.
This can affect a person’s ability to hold their urine until they get to a bathroom.
According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), obesity makes SUI worse because it increases the pressure in the abdomen.
They also note that obesity contributes to MUI because it increases the risk of developing an overactive bladder, which can lead to pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
Obesity can also contribute to stress incontinence because of the added pressure placed on the bladder.
The more obese a person is, the greater their risk for developing urinary incontinence.
Can losing weight fix incontinence?
Losing weight is a common treatment for stress incontinence because it helps decrease the pressure in a person’s abdomen. However, losing weight alone will not fix SUI or MUI.
To successfully treat urinary incontinence, a doctor may recommend that an obese patient lose weight and see a pelvic floor physical therapist. A physical therapist will work with the patient to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles in order to minimize urinary leakage.
Losing weight has other benefits besides improving incontinence, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
How does obesity cause urinary incontinence?
As a person becomes obese, they place more pressure on their bladder by surrounding fat tissue. The increased pressure can weaken your pelvic floor muscles which can make it harder to hold urine. It can also cause your bladder to become overly active and lead to SUI or MUI.
How can I reduce the risk of urinary incontinence?
The most important thing you can do to protect yourself against urinary incontinence is to maintain a healthy weight. Exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced diet will help ensure that your pelvic floor muscles remain strong.
If you already suffer from mixed or stress incontinence, you may also benefit from seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist. A physical therapist will have you work on specific exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles in order to minimize urinary leakage.
How can I get help for my incontinence?
If you are interested in learning more about the treatment options available to you, you should make an appointment with your primary care doctor.
They will be able to help you find appropriate treatment options based on your individual needs.
If you’re having trouble finding quick relief from incontinence, it may be time to speak with a urologist or visit a local urology clinic for an evaluation.
