A 50-year-old woman experiences urine leakage when laughing or coughing. What are non-surgical options for treatment?

Non-surgical treatment options for urinary incontinence, specifically stress urinary incontinence, include several lifestyle modifications and exercises aimed at strengthening pelvic floor muscles and improving bladder control.

Kegel exercises, which involve the systematic contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, are effective in increasing muscle strength and improving support for the bladder and urethra, thereby reducing leakage during activities that increase abdominal pressure such as coughing or laughing.

Estrogen therapy can also be beneficial for postmenopausal women, as it helps to restore tissue integrity in the urogenital area. This is significant because estrogen deficiency can lead to atrophy of the pelvic tissues, exacerbating incontinence symptoms.

Pessaries, which are devices inserted into the vagina to provide structural support, can help maintain proper positioning of the pelvic organs and alleviate the incidence of leakage during activity. This combination of Kegel exercises, estrogen therapy, and the use of pessaries addresses multiple aspects of treatment for stress urinary incontinence.

While bladder training exercises are also beneficial for urge incontinence, they are not as effective for stress incontinence. Anticholinergic medications are primarily used for urge incontinence rather than stress incontinence. Urinary catheters are typically reserved for cases of retention or for in