Many people with MS experience bladder problems and some of these can result in occasional incontinence, where bladder control is lost and urine leaks out.
Bladder incontinence ranges from occasionally leaking urine if you cough or sneeze to having such a strong sudden urge to urinate that you can’t reach the toilet in time. Some people experience both of these.
There are many successful approaches to treating and managing episodes of urinary incontinence. Health professionals, including your MS specialist nurse, GP and continence advisor can work with you to find the solutions that work for you.
What is bladder incontinence?
Bladder incontinence (also called urinary incontinence) is a lack of control over when you empty your bladder that results in passing urine when you don’t mean to.
What causes bladder incontinence?
There are two main causes of bladder accidents in multiple sclerosis.
- Urge incontinence happens where MS nerve damage takes place in the parts of the brain and spinal cord that control the bladder. This results in problems with your bladder storing urine or your bladder being overactive which means you may need the toilet frequently and urgently.
- Stress incontinence is leakage of urine when your bladder is under pressure, for example when sneezing, coughing or lifting something heavy. This happens when your pelvic floor muscles are weakened. In MS neurological damage can result in weakness to the pelvic floor. This is because damaged nerves, mainly within the spinal cord, are not transmitting messages to the pelvic floor muscles as effectively as they used to. Other reasons for weakened pelvic floor muscles include giving birth or abdominal surgery.
Some people experience both of these types of incontinence.
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