Women experience incontinence
twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause,
and the structure of the female urinary tract account
for this difference. But both women and men can become
incontinent from neurologic injury, congenital defects,
strokes, multiple sclerosis, and physical problems
associated with aging.
While urinary incontinence affects
older women more often than younger women, the onset
of incontinence is not inevitable with age. Incontinence
is treatable and often curable at all ages.
Incontinence in women
usually occurs because of problems with muscles that
help to hold or release urine. The body stores urine
- water and wastes removed by the kidneys - in the
urinary bladder, a balloon-like organ. The bladder
connects to the urethra, the tube through which urine
leaves the body. It can result when the fetus pushes
down and places pressure on the bladder. It can even
continue after birth, until weakened pelvic muscles
become stronger.
During urination, muscles
in the wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine
out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same
time, sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax,
letting urine pass out of the body. Incontinence will
occur if the bladder muscles suddenly contract or
muscles surrounding the urethra suddenly relax.
