The Impact of Stress Urinary Incontinence

While stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common among women, many do not seek help for many years. Many people feel too embarrassed to seek treatment or believe SUI is an unavoidable part of getting older. While SUI is certainly common (over 25 million Americans experience it), it can be treated and when untreated, it can seriously impact a person’s quality of life. 

Physical Impact

The impact of SUI is not limited to changing clothes or rushing to the bathroom. SUI also causes skin irritation, can cause people to reduce or forgo physical activity (for fear of leaking), and may contribute to increased risk of falls. Skin infections may occur due to overexposure to moisture and bacterial/fungal infection may occur due to close contact with bacteria from waste products repeatedly. Also, in a large Australian study, it was found that more than 33.3% of women, aged 45-50, reported that they avoid athletic activities in fear of leakage during exercise. Some elderly women even report increased risk of falls and fractures. This may be due to a decreased ability to multitask, causing women who are rushing to the bathroom to be less aware of potential hazards. 

Mental Impact

Because many women think that SUI is embarrassing, they hide it from family, friends, and health experts. This shame may lead to anxiety and depression. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women with severe urinary incontinence had an 80% greater possibility of developing deep depression while women with mild incontinence had a 40% greater possibility of presenting depression. 

Financial Impact 

Women with severe urinary incontinence pay $900 annually for incontinence care. There are other expenses such as laundry, dry cleaning, absorbent products, medications, and doctor visits as well. Also, about 23% of women take time off work due to incontinence which results in loss of work pay. 

About Comet

1 in 4 women in the US experience decreased quality of life caused by pelvic floor disorders. Comet gives these women access to telehealth visits with licensed pelvic floor physical therapists and video-based home exercise curriculum.

Comet has developed a Stress Urinary Incontinence curriculum (learn more). This 47 video course was developed in collaboration with leading pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Laurel Proulx DPT and goes over the ins and outs of stress urinary incontinence, how to do a self-assessment from home, and breathing techniques and exercises for reducing leakage. 

Sources: National Associate for Continence, CDC, Global Library of Women's Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine