Hay fever and bladder control
11 October 2011
Sneezing may lead to a loss of bladder control in some women. Sneezing is one of the culprits, along with a cough, a laugh or exercise, for example, that can lead to urine leakage. In the last 25 years, allergic conditions - including hay fever, asthma and eczema - have doubled, so this is probably an increasing problem.
This type of leakage is called stress urinary incontinence, a term that also describes the urine leakage that happens in women who are overweight. Add sneezing to the downward strain on the pelvic floor of carrying too much body weight and the resulting urinary incontinence can be annoying, embarrassing or distressing.
The PFMs are an internal muscular hammock or trampoline of muscles stretching between each hip bone and from the pubic bone at the front to the coccyx (tailbone) at the back. These muscles are important for good bladder and bowel control. An asthmatic cough (or any prolonged cough such as that linked to a chronic lung problem or a smokers’ cough) can also strain and weaken the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) over time.
We are currently in hay fever season and if this means constant sneezing, a weakness in the pelvic floor may eventuate. If you’re experiencing a loss of bladder control, take action by:
· Addressing the hay fever. Ask your GP about antihistamines (anti-allergy treatments for irritated eyes and nose), or consider using decongestants and cold and flu medications, along with nasal sprays.
· Strengthening your pelvic floor. Visit the Pelvic Floor First website to discover ways you can protect and strengthen your pelvic floor, and consult a continence physiotherapist to guide you through a treatment program. Local contact details for these continence clinicians are available by phoning the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66; and
· Addressing any chronic constipation. This can cause or worsen urinary incontinence by reducing bladder capacity and making it more unstable. Repeated bowel straining in the toilet can also weaken the pelvic floor muscles, making bladder and bowel control even more difficult.
You can get on top of the sneezing and irritation of hay fever – and any pelvic floor (bladder or bowel) weakness that this might cause - by getting professional advice about all these issues.
