About Incontinence
Incontinence becomes more common as we age and seriously affects the quality of many older people's lives. We don't know as much as we should about the underlying causes of bladder and bowel weakness. Research is needed to improve our chances of treating these conditions, or of preventing them from developing in the first place. *What is incontinence?* Getting rid of your bodies waste products is a complex process. When our control mechanisms don't work properly we experience incontinence - the accidental or involuntary leakage of urine or bowel movements. This can have an impact on confidence and well-being as well as on personal hygiene and health. *What causes incontinence?* Ageing cannot cause incontinence. Although bowel and bladder weakness becomes more common as we get older, incontinence is not an inevitable part of ageing. Because incontinence is not a distinct disease, it is often difficult to determine a definite cause. *Urinary incontinence can be divided into four groups:* Stress incontinence – means leaking urine when you cough, sneeze or exercise. It is caused by weakness in the muscles that control the opening of the bladder as well as the pelvic floor muscles. This type of incontinence is most usual in women because of the impact of pregnancy, but men may develop stress incontinence after a prostate operation. Urge incontinence – means having a sudden urgent need to pass urine, but not being able to reach the toilet in time. An overactive or 'unstable' bladder often causes this. Overflow incontinence – this happens when the bladder does not empty completely. Urine can build up and end up literally overflowing. Functional incontinence – this is where practical issues such as having difficulty walking or not being able to undo clothing quickly enough can lead to incontinence. Approximately 40 per cent of all urinary incontinence cases fall into more than one of the categories described above.