Peeing When Sneezing – How to Stop

If you find yourself peeing when sneezing, or after you sneeze, then don’t worry - you’re not alone. Although peeing when you sneeze may seem embarrassing, it is not uncommon and is likely caused by a treatable condition called ‘stress incontinence’.

If you’re wondering why you’re peeing when sneezing, or asking the question ‘how to stop peeing when I sneeze’, then TENA is here to help. Keep reading to find out the links between sneezing and and strategies to help you deal with peeing when you sneeze.

Why Do I Pee When I Sneeze?

If you are regularly peeing when sneezing, then you are most likely living with a condition called stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when your become weakened. This means that pressure (like a sneeze) pushes your bladder down, changing the position of the pelvic floor muscles, ‘opening’ the outlet to the bladder (called the urethra) and causing a leakage of urine.

These muscles can become weakened for several reasons, including:

Age: As we age, our pelvic floor muscles naturally weaken and become more susceptible to stress incontinence.

Weight: Obesity or being overweight can put pressure on your pelvic floor.

surgery: Surgeries around the pelvic area, including prostate surgery, can weaken your pelvic floor and lead to stress incontinence.

Injury: Injuries that affect your nerves, or your lower back, can alter how the pelvic floor muscles work.

It’s important to note stress incontinence is not just peeing when sneezing. It can involve peeing from any form of physical force or ‘stress’, such as coughing, jumping, laughing, or sudden movements.

I Pee When I Sneeze: Pregnancy

If you’re wondering ‘why do I pee when I sneeze as a female’, then it may be some comfort to know that it’s very common. Women are more likely to experience stress incontinence than men, and pregnancy and childbirth are common causes of the condition.

The weakened muscles from childbirth along with pressure on the pelvic floor, caused by the additional weight of pregnancy, can both cause stress incontinence, leading to peeing when sneezing.

How to Stop Peeing When I Sneeze

Although peeing when sneezing can feel debilitating, it doesn’t have to. There are several ways to manage stress incontinence and help you worry less about the condition.

At-Home Treatment Methods

If your pelvic floor has been weakened, then there are ways to strengthen it and retrain those muscles to act as they once did. Pelvic floor exercises, called Kegels, work to strengthen the muscles in your pelvic floor with simple clench and release actions. By lying down, focusing on the muscles around your pelvis, and clenching and releasing them for gradually longer periods, you can build up strength in these muscles and reduce the likeliness of stress incontinence.

Certain devices such as vaginal pessaries or urethral inserts can also help prevent leakage and support your bladder. While these devices cannot be a long-term solution, they can provide temporary relief.

If you’re asking ‘how can I stop peeing when I cough or sneeze’, trying these methods at home can help you manage the condition. We’d recommend speaking to your GP to see if there’s help available from a physiotherapist, who will guide you.

Surgical Treatment Methods

If peeing when sneezing, or stress incontinence, is negatively impacting your life, then you should reach out to a medical professional. Surgeries that alleviate stress incontinence are available and include:

Sling procedures, which use synthetic mesh or tissues to support your bladder and urethra if your pelvic muscles are too weakened.

Colposuspension, where sutures support the bladder and urethra.

Vaginal mesh surgery, which involves a strip of synthetic mesh being inserted behind the urethra to support it. This surgery is only for people with a vagina.

Urethral bulking agents injected into the walls of a urethra can help it stay closed. This surgery is only for people with a vagina.

How to Stop Peeing When I Sneeze: Lifestyle Factors

As well as exercise, there are several ways you can adjust your lifestyle to help with stress incontinence and reduce peeing when sneezing. As weight can be a cause of stress incontinence, adjusting your diet can help. Eating healthier foods such as fruit and vegetables is a good place to start, and reducing liquids which stimulate urine production (‘diuretics’) such as caffeinated drinks and alcohol can also help.

If you often pee when sneezing, try scheduling bathroom breaks at increasingly long intervals to help train your body to hold in urine. Avoid pushing yourself too much, and schedule bathroom visits at intervals you feel comfortable with.

Conclusion

Peeing when sneezing can feel embarrassing, but it’s important to remember you’re not alone. Incontinence is often not permanent and can be managed, treated, and lived with comfortably.

If living with leaks, such as those from sneezes and coughs, TENA is here to help. Browse our range of articles on living with incontinence to learn more about managing and treating the condition. You can also browse our range of expertly designed incontinence products, which make living with incontinence more comfortable.

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