Usually shortened to stress
incontinence, it’s the most common type for women to have. Around 10% of male incontinence is of this sort.It often happens when the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder become weakened. When you laugh or cough, pressure on your bladder increases. The pelvic floor muscles can‘t tighten enough to keep all the urine in. So some leaks out – usually only a small amount, but in some cases it can be more.
Women - Stress incontinence is most likely to affect women during pregnancy, after childbirth and after the age of 40. Those are times when their pelvic floor muscles are likely to be damaged and/or weakened. Women can have this type at any age though. One in three experience it at some point in their lives. It commonly happens to young women when playing sports.