Urinary incontinence is a condition that can be controlled and often cured.

Loss of bladder control is called urinary incontinence. It can happen to anyone, but is very common in older people. At least 1 in 10 people age 65 or older has urinary incontinence problems. Aging does not cause incontinence. It can occur for many reasons.

There are several different types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress incontinence happens when urine leaks during physical activities that put pressure on the bladder.
• Urge incontinence happens when people can't hold their urine long enough to get to the toilet in time.
• Overflow incontinence happens when small amounts of urine leak from a bladder that is always full.
• Functional incontinence happens in many older people who have a hard time getting to the toilet in time because of arthritis or other disorders that make moving quickly difficult.

Your doctor may suggest you try to get back control of your bladder through training. There are several ways to do this:

• Pelvic muscle exercises work the muscles that you use to stop urinating.
• Biofeedback helps you become more aware of signals from your body.
• Timed voiding and bladder training also can help you control your bladder.

Besides bladder control training, there are several other ways to help manage urinary incontinence:

• Sometimes doctors suggest a small, throwaway patch; a small, tampon-like urethral plug; or a vaginal insert called a pessary for women with stress incontinence.
• A doctor can prescribe medicines to treat urinary incontinence.
• A doctor can inject an implant into the area around the urethra.
• Sometimes surgery can improve or cure urinary incontinence if it is caused by a problem such as a change in the position of the bladder or blockage due to an enlarged prostate.
• You can now buy special absorbent underclothing and other incontinence products.