How To Stop Wetting Yourself When Laughing

Has your friend ever told you a joke so funny that you've ended up wetting yourself? While this situation could result in even more laughter, it can also be quite embarrassing and may be a sign of weak pelvic floor muscles.

When these muscles weaken, it often results in a condition called stress incontinence, which can cause you to leak urine when performing physical actions that increase intra-abdominal pressure like laughing, sneezing, coughing, and exercising.

While one-off minor leakage when having a good giggle may be normal, if you find yourself leaking almost every time you laugh, you may want to start looking into why it's happening and how you can stop it.

Here at Jude, we are passionate about breaking the stigmas surrounding incontinence and other urinary issues by providing up-to-date and actionable information. In this article, we'll take a closer look at stress urinary incontinence and provide a few ways in which you can prevent wetting yourself when laughing.

The Link Between Stress Incontinence And Wetting Yourself When Laughing

If you're someone who regularly leaks urine when laughing, it's most likely caused by a condition called stress urinary incontinence - a type of urinary incontinence that happens when there is increased pressure on your bladder that overcomes the pressure of the closed urethra (the tube which controls urination)..

Stress incontinence causes

Stress incontinence is caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles and/or impaired support around the urethra, which could be the result of:

• Changes associated with ageing: As you age, your pelvic floor muscles may weaken, especially if you aren't as active as you used to be.

• Menopause: The hormone changes associated with menopause, specifically low oestrogen, can cause changes in your bladder, urethral lining and surrounding tissues.

• Childbirth and pregnancy: These life events, can cause potential damage or stretching of your pelvic floor muscles and supporting tissues.

• Pelvic surgery: Like with childbirth, any type of pelvic surgery can potentially affect your pelvic floor muscles or your urethral support.

• Neurological conditions: Conditions like multiple sclerosis can cause the signals between your brain and your bladder to get mixed up, resulting in urine leaks.

• Obesity: If you are obese or overweight, the excess weight can put additional pressure on the pelvic floor.

Stress incontinence symptoms

If you have stress incontinence, you typically experience urine leakage when performing physical actions, such as:

• Laughing

• Sneezing

• Coughing

• Lifting heavy objects

• Running or other impact activities

How To Stop Wetting Yourself When Laughing

Fortunately, there are plenty of effective ways to manage stress incontinence to help stop urine leakage when laughing. These include:

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles

Pelvic floor muscle training can help strengthen the muscles that support your urinary system, which, in turn, can help reduce your urine leakage.

A great example of pelvic floor training is Kegel exercises, which require you to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles at timed intervals while holding certain positions. You can perform these exercises by:

1. Identify the correct muscles (e.g. by imagining you are trying to stop the flow of urine or holding back gas)

2. Squeeze these muscles and then lift them up and inside your body.

3. Hold the contraction for a few seconds. Initially, you may do this for 3-5 seconds and then eventually build up to 10 seconds.

4. Relax completely for an equal amount of time.

5. Repeat and aim for 10-15 repetitions 2-3 times a day

Over time, you could see an improvement in your symptoms.

Thanks to a plethora of online resources, pelvic floor exercises can be carried out in the comfort of your own home. However, if you are looking for extra guidance to ensure the correct technique and personalised advice, you can always perform these exercises with a qualified pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Losing excess weight

The extra weight that comes with being obese or overweight can make your incontinence worse by adding to the pressure in your pelvic region when you laugh. So, weight loss through you could try exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet may potentially decrease this pressure and improve symptoms.

However, exercising can sometimes be a double-edged sword as high-impact actions like running and lifting heavy weights can put additional pressure on your pelvic floor. So, you may want to opt for gentle low-impact exercises, like walking and swimming, to begin your fitness journey.

If you suspect the reason you are struggling to lose weight is because of an underlying medical condition, you should make an appointment with your general practitioner to discuss an effective treatment plan.

Wear leak-proof underwear and incontinence pads

Incontinence products, such as absorbent pads and leak-proof underwear, can give you the confidence to go about your everyday activities without having to worry about urine leakage. Here at Jude, our leak-proof pants are designed to hold up to 8 teaspoons of urine, and our bamboo pads are comfortable, soft, and absorbent.

While these products won't 'fix' your problem, they can make managing your condition a whole lot easier.

Treating underlying issues like chronic cough and constipation

Do you suspect that your bladder is under additional strain because of constipation or a chronic cough? In this case, visit your doctor to treat these conditions as soon as possible. In turn, you may be able to reduce pressure on your bladder and potentially minimise your leaks.

Improve your diet and avoid bladder irritants

Did you know that certain foods can act as a bladder irritant and potentially worsen bladder symptoms, especially since urgency can co-exist with stress incontinence? Some of the items you may want to consider reducing or avoiding include:

• Fizzy drinks

• Spicy foods

• Citrus fruits, including tomatoes

• Cigarettes (smoking is a known risk factor)

• Alcohol

• Caffeinated drinks

Moderation is key and you should try to keep a food diary to identify your own triggers. Also, focus on eating a balanced diet filled with nutritious meals and fresh vegetables. Not only will a wholesome diet help you maintain a healthy weight, but it may also help you improve your bladder health.

Devices

Devices like pessaries (which are inserted into the vagina) and urethral inserts (placed into the urethra) are used to help stop bladder leakage by supporting the urethra and the bladder neck. Essentially, these devices act like plugs to prevent urine from leaking out when you laugh. The results are often immediate and typically very effective.

These devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes; however, your doctor can help you choose one that is best suited for your body and symptoms.

Bulking injections

Injecting a bulking agent into the urethral wall helps to keep the urethra closed and prevent leakage. The process is not overly complicated and has around a 70% success rate though definitions of success can vary. Depending on which bulking agent is used, the results may last between two and seven years and sometimes require repeat injections.

Surgery

Surgery is typically considered when other measures are not enough or not desired. Some of the surgery options include sling surgery and colposuspension (lifting the neck of the bladder).

A thorough discussion with your surgeon is necessary to discuss potential benefits, risks, side effects and complications before you consider any surgical options.

FAQs

Is there anything I can do to prevent developing urinary incontinence?

Some of the ways in which you can reduce the risk of urinary incontinence include:

• Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises (especially during pregnancy and post-partum)

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Treating conditions like chronic cough and constipation as soon as possible

• Eating a balanced diet and drinking enough water (avoiding excessive fluid intake is important for some)

• Participating in regular low-impact exercise

• Avoid smoking

Just keep in mind that there is no sure-fire way to prevent developing urinary incontinence, as some of the risk factors are unavoidable.

What is the difference between stress incontinence and urge incontinence?

Stress incontinence is caused by leakage due to increased abdominal pressure on your pelvic floor and urethra, while urge incontinence is preceded by a sudden, uncontrollable urge to pee. If you experience both, you most likely have mixed incontinence but it is best to get your condition diagnosed by a doctor..

What is bladder training, and can it help alleviate stress incontinence symptoms?

Bladder training involves creating a timed voiding schedule to help manage urgency and frequency and help improve bladder control. This is primarily used for urge incontinence rather than stress incontinence but it can also be helpful in mixed incontinence. Your healthcare professional can help you come up with a bathroom plan that aligns with your needs.

Final Thoughts

Wetting yourself when laughing is no funny matter. It can be embarrassing, frustrating, and even impact your social life. After all, why would you want to go out for dinner with friends if there is a chance you could end up peeing your pants all because of a good laugh?

However, there is no reason to feel ashamed. As we have outlined in this article, there are plenty of ways to treat and manage stress incontinence.

Here at Jude, we are passionate about breaking the stigmas surrounding urinary incontinence by providing educational blog posts, just like this one. Additionally, we have a range of specialised incontinence products, including leak-proof underwear.

Don't let your incontinence hold you back from enjoying your life to the fullest. It's time to address your symptoms and start improving your bladder health one step at a time.