You might have started noticing that you pee a little bit when you sneeze, exercise, or lift something heavy. Or maybe you feel sudden urges to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden can’t quite make it in time. Regardless of how it manifests itself, what you’re experiencing is light bladder leakage, which is a mild form of urinary incontinence—and one in three women experience it. It’s so common that next time you hang out with a group of women, more than one of you has probably had light bladder leakage.
There’s no single answer to what causes light bladder leakage, but the good news is that there are ways to mitigate it, whether that’s changing some habits or using products specially up for the job.
How do you know if you have light bladder leakage?
The telltale signs of light bladder leakage are when you notice little leaks of pee when doing ordinary things like sneezing or running. You may also feel an urgent need to pee more often than you’re used to and often at night. An onset of light bladder leakage might seem like a urinary tract infection at first, but while a UTI may increase how often you feel the urge, it usually doesn’t lead to leaks. Light bladder leakage is usually just that—light. So if you’re experiencing particularly heavy leaks or any pain, your situation might be slightly different, and you should consult your doctor.
What causes light bladder leakage?
There are basically two types of light bladder leakage: stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and urge urinary incontinence (UUI).
SUI occurs when the muscles of the pelvic floor and surrounding the urethra weaken a little; as a result, they have trouble keeping your pee where it belongs whenever any type of physical stress is placed on the bladder. Some of the most common stressors leading to SUI and light bladder leakage are:
- Coughing and sneezing
- Smoking (especially if it causes coughing)
- Weight gain or pregnancy
- Aging, both because muscles will naturally weaken with age and because estrogen keeps the pelvic floor muscles strong, which decreases at menopause
- Childbirth, which stretches the muscles
- Exercise or heavy lifting
- Excessive caffeine or alcohol intake
UUI, on the other hand, isn’t exacerbated by any specific factors, and its causes are less well understood. In a nutshell, UUI sends strong signals from your brain to your bladder that you need to pee, even when the bladder isn’t full. This can lead to light bladder leakage because you feel like you need to pee more often and sometimes so badly that you can’t make it to the bathroom. Sometimes, this type of light bladder leakage is brought on by caffeine or spicy or acidic food that can lead to bladder spasms.
What can you do about light bladder leakage?
Sometimes light bladder leakage goes away on its own, but other times managing it becomes part of your routine. But whether it’s temporary or here to stay, there are a few things you can do to mitigate the issue:
- Watch what you eat. Cut back on caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes. If you’re experiencing light bladder leakage due to UUI, try decreasing spicy and acidic foods in your diet.
- Plan bathroom breaks. Plan to go to the bathroom every hour or so, especially when exercising, so you’re not caught off guard
- Do Kegels Do a few sets of Kegel exercises every day to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles
- Stay hydrated! Although it might be tempting to decrease your fluid intake, that doesn’t really help and may only lead to dehydration
- Find incontinence products that work for you. From pads and liners of all thicknesses to bladder supports to absorbent underwear, there’s an abundance of useful products out there. Just make sure to use incontinence-specific items, and not period pads, which aren’t designed for urine flow.
- Talk to your doctor. It might not always be easy to bring up an issue that seems shameful or somewhat insignificant, but because UI has so many roots and causes, a doctor can help you narrow down your specific causes of light bladder leakage and find the course of action that’s right for you
We’ll be the first to admit that light bladder leakage certainly isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be a life-altering problem, either. Once you know why it’s happening and what you can do about it, you can exercise, laugh, and go about your day without worrying about what’s going on in your pants.