What is Incontinence?
Incontinence is a condition which causes an uncontrolled leakage from the bladder or bowel. There are different types of incontinence which affect men, women and children of all ages. Incontinence is not just a problem of old age, nor is it an inevitable part of getting older.

Over half of all women experience incontinence at some point in their lives and about one-third develop a regular problem. After age 60, incontinence is twice as common among women than men. It is a major factor in nursing home admissions, and more than one half of all nursing home residents are incontinent, 75% of nursing home residents over the age of 75 are women. Social and psychological consequences include: loss of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, suicide, and less active lifestyles. An estimated 50 to 70 percent of women with urinary incontinence fail to seek medical help because of embarrassment and shame. Most rely on self management with absorbent products, regular voiding, and decreased fluid intake.

Here are some hard facts:

Break it down for me... what are my prevention and treatment options?

The Different Types of Incontinence

Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence is the type of incontinence which occurs when one cannot delay the bladder's message to empty. When this occurs, one experiences "urgency" and cannot may it to the restroom on time. This is the type of incontinence most commonly seen in children who have a day or night wetting problem. This is also the most common type of incontinence seen in elderly. It may also occur in a variety of other circumstances at any age.

Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence refers to the type of incontinence which occurs with increased intra-abdominal pressure such as by a cough or sneeze. It occurs almost exclusively in women and is thought to be due to "pelvic relaxation" (of tissues) from childbirth or aging. Excessive weight can be a contributory factor to stress incontinence. Stress loss of urine in men is rare and is almost always associated with surgery or some other trauma in the area. Some patients may have the symptoms or both stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Those with Stress Incontience should avoid caffine, nicotene, and artificial sweetners.

Other Types of Incontinence
Transient incontinence is fairly common in the elderly and may be caused by mental confusion, infection, medications, depression, immobility, constipation and more. Overflow incontinence may occur when one cannot urinate, causing the bladder to become overfilled and leak urine. Prostate enlargement may cause this type of incontinence or other urine control problems. Still other contributory factors to incontinence include: neurologic problems, spinal abnormalities, diabetes, and much more.

Percentages and Studies
Numerous studies have measured the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the general population. The results of one study completed at Emory University (Atlanta, GA) concluded that UI was found in 43.6% of women and 20.9% of men over the age of 20. In another study of 3,638 patents over age 20, 1908 women and 922 men completed an anonymous questionnaire; 43% of women and 11% of men reported having a current urinary tract infection; almost 75% had not informed a health professional, but more than a third said they would see a physician if treatment were available. Sixty percent of those with UI, have Urge Incontinence, when urination occurs with little or no warning, and quite frequently. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research estimates that 85% of urge incontinence sufferers are women between ages 30 and 59. In a study conducted by a leading urologist of 1000 people with Urge Incontinence, a reported 2 in 5 have attempted suicide because of their condition. Affecting some 20 - 25 million Americans, UI cost sufferers an estimated $16 billion annually. In spite of its status of being one of the nation's most prevalent medical conditions, UI remains a vastly overlooked subject for research funding. --Prevalence: About 25 million adults -- 10 %-35% of all adults, 50% of 1.5 million residents in nursing homes --Care costs: $12 billion in the community and $5.2 billion in nursing homes

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