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The good news is that, out of all the different types of incontinence, stress incontinence is the easiest to treat.

There are several treatments that work well. You can do exercises for stress incontinence yourself, at home. Or you can take medications or have surgery.

If your symptoms are mild and don't cause you problems, you may not want to do anything about them. Even if you only have a bit of leaking urine, it's worth doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor.

But you should see your doctor if incontinence affects your daily life, especially if:

• You stop doing things you used to enjoy, such as sports and dancing, because you're worried about leaking
• You have to wear pads.

It's never too late to ask for help. Treatments work just as well if you've had symptoms for just a few weeks or for many years.

If you don't have treatment for your stress incontinence, it's unlikely your symptoms will clear up on their own. We can't tell you if they will get worse because there hasn't been any good research about what happens if you don't have treatment. Some women do get other problems.

• If your pelvic floor muscles are very weak, you may get a prolapse. Your bladder may fall and sag down into your vagina. Or your vagina may drop down. If you have a prolapse in your pelvic area, you'll get an uncomfortable feeling in your vagina. You may also feel a bulge near the opening of your vagina.
• You may get urge incontinence as well as stress incontinence. See Other types of incontinence to learn more.
• If things get worse, you may have to go to the bathroom so often that it starts to interfere with what you can do and where you can go. You may lose confidence and feel depressed.

If your stress incontinence is bad, surgery often works well. Any surgery has risks but surgery for stress incontinence is fairly safe. And most women who have it find their symptoms get better.¹

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.