What Is Urinary Incontinence?

Question: What Is Urinary Incontinence?

Answer: Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine that affects millions of women. Urinary incontinence may be a small problem, or a huge problem that interferes with normal living and activities. Whether you experience urinary incontinence that causes only a small amount of urine loss, or the loss of a large amount of urine, you may feel embarrassed and limit your activities due to your fear that you will be unable to control your bladder.

Urinary incontinence may occur when you cough, run, or jump when you might experience only a small amount of urine loss. Incontinence can also occur during sexual activity, or at any other unexpected time.

The older you are, the more likely you are to experience urinary incontinence. Some of the causes of incontinence include pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause - these uniquely female experiences account for the reason that women are twice as likely as men are to experience urinary incontinence. Other reasons you may experiences urinary incontinence include birth defects, multiple sclerosis, neurological injuries, and the physical changes that occur during aging.

The good news is that treatments are available that work to prevent urinary incontinence from limiting your activities. If you experience urinary incontinence, ask your doctor about your treatment options. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight may end your urinary incontinence. While there are several surgical procedures that treat urinary incontinence, many women effectively control their bladder control issues using prescription medications.

_Source:

_{Urinary Incontinence In Women. NIDDK. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/. Accessed 04/07/10.}