Facts to Know

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1. More than 13 million Americans, 11 million of them women, suffer from incontinence. From 15 to 35 percent of the total population over age 60 has incontinence, with women twice as likely as men to have an occurrence.

2. Although incontinence is most prevalent among older women, it can occur at any age. From 10 to 30 percent of women age 15 to 64 have incontinence. One in four women between the ages of 39 and 59 have experienced incontinence.

3. More than half of women with incontinence never discuss it with their health care professional. In most cases, treatment can improve or cure incontinence, once the condition is brought to the attention to a health care professional.

4. Incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. It has a variety of causes. Urine leakage can be caused by problems that, when treated, stop the incontinence, including urinary tract infections, vaginal infections or irritations, and constipation. Incontinence also can be the result of a serious illness or disease, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, stroke or brain tumors. Long-term incontinence can be caused by weak pelvic, bladder, or urinary sphincter muscles, or a bladder that contracts involuntarily and expels urine.

5. Stress incontinence is the most common form of incontinence among women. It consists of urine leakage when any physical pressure is placed on the bladder, such as sneezing, coughing, or exercising. Another common type of urine control problem in women is urge incontinence, characterized by a sudden, strong urge to urinate but an inability to make it to the toilet in time. It can be caused by a disorder known as "overactive bladder." Women can have a combination of these problems, known as mixed incontinence.

6. Overflow incontinence, which is the feeling that the bladder is always full, accompanied by dribbling of urine, is rare in women. It can be caused by diabetes, or an obstruction in the urinary tract that can lead to serious illness, so if you experience such symptoms, see your health care professional.

7. With treatment, incontinence can be improved or cured in eight out of 10 cases. Treatment depends on the type of incontinence and its causes. Therapy options include simple behavior modification techniques women can learn to do themselves, medications, use of special devices and surgery. Talk with your health care professional about what treatments may help you.

8. Behavior modification techniques are often the first-line treatment for incontinence, but their success depends on your ability to stick to with them. Pelvic muscle exercises, known as Kegel exercises, strengthen weak muscles that support the urinary system. The exercises help 40 to 75 percent of women who do them. Bladder training changes urination habits, and one study of women undergoing such a program found 12 percent were cured of their incontinence and 75 percent saw improvement.

9. There are more than 100 different surgical techniques for treating stress incontinence, and many of them have been highly successful. Some procedures are minimally invasive, and can have quick recovery times. But surgery does carry risks, and needs to be fully discussed with your health care professional before chosen as a treatment option.

10. Long-term use of absorbent pads and adult diapers are considered by health care professionals to be a treatment of last resort, to be used as the only means of handling incontinence when all else fails.