Urinary incontinence may not be a normal part of aging and may not be a natural part of childbirth or menopause for women. It is a condition that may have several different causes. Urinary incontinence may also be the symptom of another condition or disease.

Alcoholic beverages, overhydration and dehydration may be possible causes of temporary urinary incontinence. Caffeine, bladder irritation and certain medications may also be responsible.

Other possible causes of temporary urinary incontinence may include constipation and urinary tract infection. Possible causes of more persistent urinary incontinence may include pregnancy or childbirth, changes associated with aging, hysterectomy, painful bladder syndrome, prostatitis, enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, bladder cancer or stones, neurological disorders or obstructions in the urinary tract.

Individuals may suffer from urinary incontinence or feces incontinence (uncontrollable loss of stool). There are various types of incontinence, such as stress incontinence (exerting pressure on the bladder by coughing, sneezing, etc.), urge incontinence (sudden urge to urinate followed by involuntary loss of urine), overflow incontinence (frequent dribble of urine), functional incontinence (caused by a physical or mental impairment) or gross total incontinence (continuous leaking of urine, as the bladder may have no storage capacity). People may also suffer from mixed incontinence, present if the patient suffers from more than one type of incontinence.

Treating incontinence may be done by exercising the pelvic floor muscle, bladder training, scheduling trips to the toilet or through managing fluid intake and diet. Certain medications may also be effective in treating incontinence.

Medical devices may be recommended to prevent urine leakage. In some cases, surgery may be required to treat the problem, while wearing absorptive pads may also be an option. A catheter may also be used to drain the bladder if other treatments do not work.

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