Women’s Incontinence
Urinary incontinence affects more than 13 million Americans, 85 percent of whom are women. It is more common than most chronic conditions, affecting 25 percent of reproductive-aged women and 50 percent of postmenopausal women.
A number of factors may contribute to incontinence, including:
- Childbirth, when tissues, muscles and nerves supporting the urethra may be damaged
- Obesity
- Hysterectomy, which increases the risk of incontinence by 30 to 40 percent
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
- Illness such as diabetes, lung disease or stroke
The most common types of incontinence are stress incontinence, urge incontinence (often called overactive bladder) or a combination of the two, called mixed incontinence.
Incontinence is not a normal part of the aging process, and there are a variety of treatment options available.