Am I Leaking Urine Or Discharge? Determine which fluids are fluiding & make a plan to manage them.
I understand. There are a lot of fluids fluiding down there. Determining which orifice they’ve arrived from can sometimes be challenging.
Bladder leakage or urinary incontinence is quite common and can affect 1 in 3 people. That’s a lot of people. Sometimes though, it’s hard to tell if that’s the issue and you might find yourself asking, “ Am I leaking urine or discharge?”.
If it is urinary incontinence, know that there are treatments available to help you on your way to keep your pants dry as well as management tools you can use during dampness-inducing activities.
Discharge, however, is a different animal. Unlike urine, discharge can change its consistency, odour, volume and viscosity ( I know that just gave you the ick ) depending on where you are in your cycle and what kind of acrobatics your hormones are doing.
Why does it matter if it’s urine or discharge?
Management of either of these annoyances is quite different. Discharge might come down to watching where you are in your cycle or speaking with your OBGYN if you feel something is out of the norm.
Whereas, leaking urine might be a bigger issue where you need to be properly assessed and managed with the care of a pelvic physiotherapist.
This might include:
assessing the muscles
how you move
your core
breathing
and various other strategies to assess why this is happening and help make a plan to resolve the leaking.
Pads, liners and fluid-managing-things
If you’re using liners or pads to help with the undetermined wetness, remember that not all pads are created equal.
Feminine hygiene pads are built for blood and feminine fluids, whereas incontinence pads are built for urine.
Urine and blood, or discharge, in this case, are different animals and require different absorption - for that reason.
Urine can strongly irritate the vulva and any pad will need to be changed as soon as possible after a leak.
Whereas, blood or discharge can sit happily against the vulva without cause for concern, irritation or immediate action.
Urinary incontinence pads are built to wick moisture away quickly for this reason and are often great at managing odour.
It’s not a life sentence
If you need something to help you through the interim of your leaking pee, use urinary incontinence pads. That’s what they’re built for.
This doesn’t mean that you will need them forever; think of these pads instead as a tool to help you towards resolution.
Am I leaking urine or discharge? Troubleshooting guide
There are many ways we can figure out what we’re dealing with and I’m going to go through a few tips you can try if you’re unsure why your unders are damp:
Wear light-coloured underwear. Is there a yellow tinge like urine? Or is it white or pasty indicating discharge? Unsure? Proceed to number 2.
Take a multivitamin or AZO (as long as your provider ensures you’re medically cleared to do so). These substances can make your pee bright in colour which can make it easier to decipher if it’s urine.
Check where you are in your cycle. Is it happening at the same time every month? Or are you pregnant? Discharge can increase both in mid-cycle and in pregnancy. Unsure of where you are in your cycle? Keep track of it with a free app.
When specifically is it happening? Running? During movement? When you cough? Urine leakage is more likely during pressure changes in your body such as during exercise or the dreaded surprise sneeze. If it seemingly comes out of nowhere or when you’re at rest (sitting or standing still), it’s likely discharge.
Suppose you are still unable to decipher which fluid is ending up in your underwear; gathering this information for your pelvic physio will be helpful for them to problem-solve what’s going on.
If you have figured out it’s urine you’re leaking, that’s ok!
Just because leaking pee is common, doesn’t mean it has to be your new normal or a long-term condition you have to weather.
There is help available to resolve these issues within pelvic physiotherapy. Have a Google at what’s up for offer in your area regarding pelvic PT.
It’s never too late to get you back to the activities you love, improve your confidence … and even lose the unders altogether if you’re channelling your inner Brittany.
Here for you and your hive,
Laine
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Alves JO, Da Luz ST, Brandao S, Da Luz CM, Jorge RN. Urinary incontinence in physically active young women: prevalence and related factors. Int J Sports Med. 2017;38:937–41. - DOI
De Mattos Lourenco TR, Matsuoka PK, Baracat EC, Haddad JM. Urinary incontinence in female athletes: a systematic review. Int Urogynecol J. 2018;29:1757–63. - DOI
Teixeira RV, Colla C, Sbruzzi G, Mallmann A, Paiva LL. Prevalence of urinary incontinence in female athletes: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Int Urogynecol J. 2018;29(12):1717–25. - DOI
Da Roza T, Brandão S, Mascarenhas T, Jorge RN, Duarte JA. Volume of training and the ranking level are associated with the leakage of urine in young female trampolinists. Clin J Sport Med. 2015;25(3):270–5. - DOI
Simeone C, Moroni A, Pettenò A, Antonelli A, Zani D, Orizio C, Cosciani Cunico S. Occurrence rates and predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence in female athletes. Urologia. 2010 Apr-May;77(2):139-46.
About the Author: Laine Wall
If you are looking for a pelvic physio, I would love to help you on your pelvic health journey.
I work out of, and own, a pelvic physiotherapy clinic called The Hive Pelvic Health Co. in Millbrook, Ontario and also offer virtual appointments if you reside in Ontario, Canada.
Have more questions? Get in touch with me.
The Hive Pelvic Health Co. is located in the township of Cavan-Monaghan, in Peterborough County; and is less than 20 minutes from the city of Peterborough and 30 minutes from Durham region.
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