This type of incontinence causes urine to leak out with either little or no warning and you may also need to empty your bladder more often.  

It is usually caused by a weakening of the muscles in the walls of the bladder and this may be as a result of not drinking enough fluid, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, frequent constipation, certain medications or medical conditions and repeated urine infections.

Stress Incontinence

Non-surgical treatment includes medication, bladder training, pelvic floor training and possibly lifestyle changes

Most surgical treatment will involve some form of support for the bladder itself by either using tape or a sling to hold the bladder in its correct position or sometimes by using carefully placed stitches to lift it back up.  The method used will depend on your own circumstances and symptoms.

Urge Incontinence



  • Increased urgency to pass urine
  • Increased frequency in passing urine
  • Passing urine during the night (known as nocturia)
  • Recurrent urinary tract infections

Bladder Incontinence

Bladder problems


Diagnosis will involve taking  a detailed history of your symptoms, a physical examination, tests on the urine to check for underlying infection, an ultrasound scan of your bladder, a cystoscopy to look inside your bladder or urodynamic tests to check your bladder function.

​ Mr Paul Curtis MBChB  FRCOG

​   Consultant Gynaecologist

Call:  01483 451669

Incontinence is very common and affects millions of people within the UK.  Women are more commonly affected than men and the two main reasons for experiencing problems within the bladder are:

  • Childbirth; especially in women who have multiple pregnancies, larger babies or a difficult labour
  • A drop in hormones due to a medical condition or advancing age which results in a weakening of the ligaments within the pelvic floor

The are two main types of incontinence and you may suffer from either one of these or a combination of the two.

are thought to affect approximately 65% of women in the UK at some point in their life.

This type of incontinence is characterised by suffering from a sudden loss of urine after coughing, sneezing, straining or laughing for example.  

It is frequently caused by a weakening in the pelvic floor muscles which hold the bladder in place but can also be caused by other medical conditions such as cysts or fibroids which push down on the bladder.  Being overweight, certain medications and damage to the bladder caused by previous surgery can also be factors.