What happens when you cough and leak urine?

Stress urinary incontinence is considered to exist when coughing, and further physical examination and urodynamic examination are needed to clarify the diagnosis. Stress incontinence is seen in women because the bladder and urethra move downward after the pelvic floor muscles become relaxed, and this results in a decrease in urethral closure pressure. When the abdominal pressure rises during coughing, it is transmitted to the bladder and leads to an increase in bladder pressure, which exceeds the urethral closure pressure and leads to urine leakage. As the pelvic floor muscle relaxation increases with age, the degree of leakage may gradually worsen, and a detailed evaluation is needed to choose between medication, functional pelvic floor exercises or pelvic floor repair surgery. Men can also develop coughing and urine leakage, most often due to urinary retention caused by prostate enlargement. Leakage occurs when a large amount of urine is retained in the bladder and when coughing raises the pressure in the bladder above the closing pressure of the urethra. You need to go to the hospital for ultrasound examination of the prostate gland, residual urine measurement, and if necessary, you need to have an indwelling catheter and then undergo surgical treatment of the prostate.