Urinary incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging, and it is not a disease. The loss of bladder control – called urinary incontinence – affects between 13 and 17 million adult Americans, with close to half of all women in the United States experiencing some degree of urinary incontinence. Approximately 11 percent of patients seeking treatment for urinary incontinence will undergo surgery.
Many people endure urinary incontinence in silence, thinking they are the only ones who have a problem or that no urinary incontinence treatments exist. Incontinence is common, and it can be treated. There are a variety of urinary incontinence treatments.
What causes urinary incontinence?
Normal bladder function requires a coordinated effort between the brain, spinal cord, and the bladder.
Urinary incontinence can appear as a side-effect of a medication prescribed for a non-urinary problem, or it can be caused by such conditions as a bladder infection. Pelvic muscle weakness after childbirth or thinning of the urethral lining after menopause cause urinary incontinence to be more common in women than men. In other situations, the bladder outlet simply may not stay closed.