Dr. Dana
For women who leak when they cough
A cold comes, and every cough brings a few drops. Here is why a cough pushes urine out, and the 1-second squeeze that was tested on coughs.
Cough without a second thought.
You are far from alone
In a US survey from 2015 to 2018, 61.8% of women said they had leaked in the past 12 months.[2] A cough is one of the moments that can bring it on.
Why a cough pushes urine out
A cough squeezes your belly hard and fast. That push lands on your bladder in a split second.
Your pelvic floor sits under your bladder like a hammock. When it lifts in time, it holds the exit closed. When it lifts late, or too softly for the push, a few drops get out.
The squeeze that was tested on coughs
The Knack is a squeeze timed just before the push. Researchers first tested it on coughs.[1]
Women with mild to moderate stress leaks learned to squeeze before a cough. On a medium cough, leakage fell by 98.2% on average. On a deep cough, it fell by 73.3%.
The gap tells you something. A deep cough needs a stronger squeeze. That is what daily training builds.
Through cold season
- Practice before the season. Do 5 fake coughs a day with the Knack, sitting, then standing. Then every real cough becomes a rep.
- Train every day. Slow holds build strength for deep coughs. Quick flicks build speed. Guidelines list at least 3 months of pelvic floor training as the first step for stress leaks.[3]
- Treat the cough too. A cough that lasts more than 3 weeks needs a doctor's visit.[4] Fewer coughs mean fewer pushes on your bladder.
Try it today
Sit tall. Breathe in. As you breathe out, squeeze and lift as if you hold in gas and pee. Give a small cough while you hold. Let go fully. Rest 10 seconds. Do it 5 times.
Cough without a second thought.
The Bladder leaks class teaches the Knack on soft coughs first, then builds the strength for the deep ones.
- A class by a urologist
- 5 to 10 minutes a day
- Week 1 is open to everyone
Quick answers
Why do I pee when I cough?
A cough squeezes your belly hard and fast. That pressure pushes down on your bladder. If your pelvic floor does not close in time, a few drops get out. Doctors call this stress incontinence.
How do I stop leaking when I cough?
Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor just before the cough, hold through it, then let go. This is the Knack. Daily training makes the squeeze strong enough for deep coughs too.
Does the Knack work for coughing?
It was first tested on coughs. In a 1998 study of women with mild to moderate stress leaks, it cut leakage by 98.2% on a medium cough and by 73.3% on a deep cough, on average.
When should I see a doctor about a cough?
See a doctor if a cough lasts more than 3 weeks. Get urgent care if you cough up blood, have chest pain or struggle to breathe.
Sources
- Miller JM, Ashton-Miller JA, DeLancey JO. A pelvic muscle precontraction can reduce cough-related urine loss in selected women with mild SUI. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1998. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Patel UJ, Godecker AL, Giles DL, Brown HW. Updated prevalence of urinary incontinence in women: 2015-2018 national population-based survey data. Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- NICE guideline NG123. Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management, 2019. nice.org.uk
- NHS. Cough: when to see a GP. nhs.uk
