Dr. Dana
For women who leak when they sneeze
You feel the sneeze coming and cross your legs. Here is why a sneeze pushes urine out, and the 1-second squeeze that can stop it.
Sneeze without crossing your legs.
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 sneeze is one of the moments that can bring it on.
Why a sneeze pushes urine out
Pressure from above. A sneeze squeezes your belly hard and fast. That pressure lands on your bladder.
Support from below. Your pelvic floor is a hammock of muscle under your bladder. When it lifts in time, it holds the exit closed.
Timing. A sneeze takes a split second. If the hammock lifts late or softly, a few drops get out.
What helps
- The Knack. Squeeze and lift just before the sneeze. Hold through it. Then let go. In a small study, a squeeze before a medium cough cut leakage by 98%.[1]
- Daily training. Slow holds build strength. Quick flicks build speed. Guidelines list pelvic floor training for at least 3 months as the first step for stress leaks.[3]
- A head start on allergy season. Practice the Knack on fake coughs for 1 to 2 weeks before your season starts. Then every real sneeze becomes a rep.
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 fake cough while you hold. Then let go fully. Do it 5 times.
Sneeze without crossing your legs.
The Bladder leaks class spends a whole week on the Knack, then builds the strength behind it.
- A class by a urologist
- 5 to 10 minutes a day
- Week 1 is open to everyone
Quick answers
Why do I pee a little when I sneeze?
A sneeze raises the pressure in your belly in a split second. That pressure pushes on your bladder. If your pelvic floor does not close in time, a few drops get out. Doctors call this stress incontinence.
Is it normal to leak when you sneeze?
It is common. In a US survey from 2015 to 2018, 61.8% of women said they had leaked in the past 12 months. Common does not mean you have to live with it.
How do I stop peeing when I sneeze?
Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor just before the sneeze, hold through it, then let go. This is the Knack. Daily pelvic floor training makes the squeeze stronger and faster.
Does it help to cross my legs?
Crossing your legs presses from the outside. The Knack closes from the inside, with your own muscle, and it works standing, walking or sitting.
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
