Bladder weakness: Why there are so many incontinent women

There are 10 million people with bladder weakness or incontinence in Germany alone. The majority of these are women. According to current statistics, 25% of all women in Germany are affected by incontinence. The special thing about it: incontinence can occur at any age and at any stage of life. Even among women under 30, up to 13% are affected.

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via Sabrina
02/08/2016, 12:09
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Around 25% of all women in Germany aged between 60 and 90 are affected by incontinence.

The causes are always individual for each woman. The most common reasons for incontinence are

  • Changes in the female pelvic floor
  • Pregnancy and childbirth
  • menopause
  • Changes in connective tissue

Changes in the female pelvic floor

The reason why women are mostly affected by incontinence is due to the particularly sensitive female physique. Over the course of a woman's life, her body undergoes major changes such as pregnancy, childbirth and the menopause. These changes place particular strain on the abdomen and pelvic floor. The pelvic floor includes not only the associated muscle groups, but also ligaments and the surrounding connective tissue.

Pregnancy and childbirth: when the pelvic floor has to withstand a lot

Women have children! This is a unique, irreplaceable task. At the same time, it is a huge challenge for the body and especially for the pelvic floor. The muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor stretch extremely far during pregnancy and childbirth and at the same time remain as hard as steel to support the weight of the child.

After the birth of the first child, women can largely reverse the changes to the pelvic floor through regular pelvic floor training. However, if the pelvic floor remains untrained, it is highly likely that incontinence will develop.

Menopause and hormonal changes

When women go through the menopause, many of them are confronted with urinary incontinence. This is because the production of the female hormone oestrogen decreases during the menopause, which means that the skin and connective tissue become less elastic - including the connective tissue of the pelvic floor.

Control over the bladder is lost as a result. Most women regain control of their bladder through targeted pelvic floor training.

Age-related incontinence is often linked to changes in the connective tissue. Around 25% of all women in Germany aged between 60 and 90 are affected by incontinence.

The elasticity of the connective tissue naturally decreases with age. The connective tissue is not only in the skin, but also in the organs to keep them in shape. As the skin ages, less of this magical supportive substance is produced. The pelvic floor and the organs it contains, including the bladder, slacken. This causes incontinence in most women.

Incontinent women are therefore not sad isolated cases, but a mass phenomenon with natural causes. With appropriate aids, pelvic floor training or medication, incontinent women can enjoy their lives freely and actively again.

More information on this topic at Insenio.de