Features

• Incontinence occurs when a person loses bladder control and urinates inappropriately, often because of a problem with the muscles and nerves that control the release of urine. Women are more than twice as likely than men to have a problem with incontinence. While incontinence is more common in older people, it is not an inevitable consequence of aging.
  
  

Causes

• Bladder muscles that have been weakened by nerve damage or by the changes a woman's body goes through during pregnancy and childbirth can cause incontinence. Damage to the nervous system and disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis can cause abnormal nerve signals that trigger the bladder to contract without warning, resulting in urine leakage. Tumors or a blocked urethra also can trigger incontinence.
  
  

Diagnosis

• To diagnose the cause of incontinence, a doctor will ask about how it occurs. If you experience sudden leakages of small amounts of urine, the cause is likely weakened bladder muscles. The same problem causes a person to lose bladder control when pressure is put on the bladder during laughing, coughing or sneezing (stress incontinence). If you describe experiencing an urge to urinate so overwhelming that you have no chance to reach a restroom before losing control, then the cause is likely abnormal nerve signals causing the bladder to contract too strongly at the wrong time. Further tests will narrow down what's causing these nerve signals
  
  

Treatment

• The treatment of incontinence problems depends on the cause. For weakened bladder muscles, exercises to rebuild strength as well as therapies involving biofeedback and scheduled trips to the restroom can help. Medications can help block inappropriate nerve signals, which will stop sudden bladder contractions. If the incontinence is caused by a structural issue such as a tumor or a blockage, surgery can fix the problem.
  
  

Considerations

• For incontinence caused by an underlying issue such as damage to the nervous system or a degenerative disease, you may need to learn how to manage the problem rather than treat it. This is also true for someone experiencing incontinence not because of a problem with the bladder, but instead because of a physical inability to reach a restroom in time, such as arthritis or trouble walking. Specially designed absorbent underwear is available. Catheterization also may be an option for some people.