Urinary incontinence is the accidental release of urine. It can happen when you cough, laugh, sneeze, or jog. Or you may have a sudden need to go to the bathroom but can't get there in time. Bladder control problems are very common, especially among older adults. They usually do not cause major health problems, but they can be embarrassing. Incontinence can be a short-term problem caused by a urinary tract infection, a medicine, or constipation.

Stress incontinence can be caused by childbirth, weight gain, or other conditions that stretch the pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles cannot support your bladder properly, the bladder drops down and pushes against the vagina. You cannot tighten the muscles that close off the urethra. So urine may leak because of the extra pressure on the bladder when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, or do other activities.

Your doctor will ask about what and how much you drink. He or she will also ask how often and how much you urinate and leak. It may help to keep track of these things for 3 or 4 days before you see your doctor. Your doctor will examine you and may do some simple tests to look for the cause of your bladder control problem. If your doctor thinks it may be caused by more than one problem, you will likely have more tests.

If you smoke, think about quitting. Quitting may make you cough less, which may help with incontinence.

Stress incontinence occurs when you sneeze, cough, laugh, jog, or do other activities that put pressure on your bladder . It is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women. Urge incontinence, also called overactive bladder, occurs when the sensation to urinate is so strong that you cannot reach the toilet in time, even when your bladder contains only a small amount of urine.

Your physician will talk with you about your medical history and your urinary habits, then you will have a physical examination and urination and other tests. These investigations will help find the exact cause of your urinary incontinence and the best treatment for you. How does US Women, Inc. treat urinary incontinence? A: After the causes of your urinary incontinence are known, treatment can start. Urinary incontinence is treated in one or more of three ways:

No! Urinary incontinence is not a natural part of aging. In most cases it can be successfully treated and reversed.

Stress urinary incontinence is a sign of an underlying condition often characterized by one or more of the following: Poorly functioning urethral sphincter muscle, the smooth muscle which helps to form a seal at the neck of the bladder.

Urinary incontinence is the accidental release of urine. It is not a disease but rather a symptom of a problem with a man's urinary tract . Urine is produced by the kidneys and stored in a muscular sac called the urinary bladder. A tube called the urethra, which is surrounded by a special ring of muscles called the urinary sphincter, leads from the bladder through the prostate and penis to the outside of the body.

Even though the prevalence of urinary incontinence tends to increase age, it is certainly not a normal phenomenon. Some people mistakenly believe that it is something they have to live with without realizing that there are numerous safe and effective treatments to help people gain a better quality of life.

Two types of behavioral techniques are commonly used. Bladder training and pelvic muscle exercises. Normally bladder training is used for urge incontinence. This may also be used for stress incontinence. In this technique women can benefit from bladder training by learning different ways to control the urge to urinate. Pelvic muscle exercises called Kegel exercises are used for stress incontinence.