How to Stop Peeing When You Cough, Sneeze, or Laugh

Urine leaking can be quite embarrassing, and it tends to strike at the worst time. Peeing when you cough is a common complaint, and it’s more common than most people think.

With a wide range of absorbent products available in stores, some people with minor incontinence issues manage the problem quietly, without anyone else knowing. But what if you don’t want to just manage it, and you’d rather stop it?

Thankfully, there are natural ways to treat urine leakage, so you don’t have to fear an accident every time you cough, laugh, or sneeze. Below are six proven ways to stop peeing when coughing, sneezing, or laughing.

Why do I pee when I cough, sneeze, or laugh?

If you are dealing with uncontrollable urine leaking when you cough, sneeze, jump, laugh, or run, you may have stress urinary incontinence. Stress incontinence is where the pressure in your bladder becomes too much for your urethra to remain closed.

Your urethra is the tube urine passes through to leave the body, and it can struggle to hold when you are laughing, coughing, or sneezing. Those actions create extra pressure, which results in leakage. If you notice a loss of bladder control when you laugh out loud at your favorite show, or when you sneeze, you are probably dealing with urinary incontinence.

This is very common, but it’s also very treatable, and it’s not something you have to live with for the rest of your life. Try these tips to get started.

Six ways to stop peeing when coughing, sneezing, or laughing

1. Pelvic floor muscle activation. First, try to find your pelvic floor muscles and perform a good, strong contraction. This will feel like the muscles between your sit bones are tightening and pulling up and in.
2. Pelvic floor muscle relaxation. You should also be able to feel your muscles fully relax after completing the contraction. This should feel like the muscles in your pelvic floor are lengthening and lowering.
3. Pelvic floor muscle coordination. Once you can feel a good contraction and relaxation, you want this motion coordinated with your breathing. When you breathe in, your pelvic floor muscles should relax and lower; when you breathe out, your pelvic floor should contract and lift. This coordination matters for these muscles to provide the functional support you need for daily activities.
4. Posture. Your posture can affect the tension on your pelvic floor, which affects its ability to function. When sitting, try to feel both sit bones evenly: not tipped too far forward, and not rocked back onto your tailbone. Find that neutral position, then practice the pelvic floor contraction and relaxation exercise with your breathing.
5. Breathe. Make sure you are always breathing, especially during high-stress activities such as bending, lifting, pushing, or pulling. Try to “exhale with exertion”: breathing out while working harder helps naturally engage your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles when they’re needed most.
6. Pelvic floor physical therapy. There can be many different factors contributing to stress incontinence, such as hip and low back mobility, breathing and postural mechanics, and muscle tension and trigger points. A physical therapist can assess your individual problem and identify the areas to work on for the best and fastest results.

How pelvic floor physical therapy can stop urine leaking

Zone Physical Therapy has worked with many women, and men, to overcome urinary incontinence so they can enjoy life without worrying about uncontrollable urine leakage.

In our Greer clinic, we regularly see patients take control of their own pelvic health as more people learn that this is a treatable condition, not just something to live with. Our team has helped hundreds of people, just like you, improve their pelvic health, and we would love to help you, too.

To learn more about pelvic floor physical therapy, request an appointment or call us at (864) 263-7390.