subject: The Causes of Incontinence in Women [print this page] The Causes of Incontinence in Women The Causes of Incontinence in Women
When seeking to gain an understanding of the problem of incontinence in women, it is a vital prerequisite that you first learn about how the female urinary system works. It consists of four main organs: kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and urethra. The urinary system filters excess fluid from the bloodstream and excretes it as urine.
The process begins with the kidneys' production of urine and delivery to the bladder through the ureter. Once the bladder reaches the point of becoming full, the brain is signaled to release the urine through the urethra. The urinary system is responsible for the removal of harmful toxins from the body's bloodstream. The kidneys are the body's sophisticated filtration system. The kidneys are so important that the human body has two, in case one fails.
Ureters are attached to each kidney, approximately twenty-five cm in length. The muscle walls of the ureters constantly pump urine from the kidneys into the bladder. Once urine enters the bladder, and the bladder becomes almost full, nerve endings are triggered in the brain signalling that it the bladder needs to be emptied. The muscles at the outlet of the bladder which are responsible for releasing the urine from the body are known as the urethral sphincter. Some of these muscles are voluntary and can be trained to tense and relax at will. When you relax these muscles, urine is released, where it enters the urethra and makes its departure from the body.
The bladder is highly elastic. It rests atop the pelvic floor muscles. In women, it is situated between the pubic bone and the vagina. It holds approximately five hundred ml of fluid. Once it is nearly half full, nerve endings send a signal to prompt the sphincter muscles to relax and allow urine to flow out of the urethra, which is anywhere from two and one half to five cm long. It being the case that the urethra is much shorter in females than in males, it is not uncommon for bacteria to infiltrate the bladder. This explains why women are more likely than men to suffer from urinary tract and bladder infections.
When the female urinary excretory system is functioning properly, it is a marvel of nature. But when any portion of this vital system is not functioning normally, or it is simply out of synch, the result is what is known as incontinence in women.
