Healthy, Middle-Aged, History-Free, Continent Women-Do They Strain to Void?

These healthy middle-aged women without a history of pelvic surgery, or symptoms or signs of urological, anorectal or gynecological problems, voided with a mean Pdetmax of 25 cm H2O, mean Qmax of 29 ml per second, and the majority without residual. Many of them strained during detrusor contraction and this had not led to the development of signs or symptoms. The way straining is done may make the difference in that during reflex bladder contraction and urethral relaxation, additional straining may have little negative effect. If straining is used to void without the initiation of the micturition reflex, voiding dysfunction and incontinence might develop more easily.