It’s a known fact that as we grow older, we must face the consequences of age, which can often rear an ugly head. Among the many health issues older demographics must face is urinary incontinence, or the involuntary excretion of urine from the body. Normally, this is a result of some other underlying medical condition, anything from stress to a dysfunctional urinary tract system. Whatever the reason for this, though, it’s always a problem that presents itself in the same way. Stress incontinence is one of the more common forms of this disorder and is especially prevalent in women, as it can worsen before the menstrual cycle. This form of urinary incontinence is also one of the more common forms of general bladder problems. The result of stress is weakened muscles in the pelvic area that cause the involuntary leaking of urine whenever the affected person coughs, laughs, etc. Bladder control problems in this form are often embarrassing, but much more common than you might think. More serious forms of urinary incontinence may occur from bladder infections, which could easily spread if they’re not taken care of. This form could be marked by a burning sensation in addition to expelling urine. An overactive bladder may not be cause of infection, but it can not only be a form of incontinence in of itself, but it can also be a hint to some other serious medical condition and should be checked out immediately. Overactive bladder is also called urge incontinence. This can occur by drinking a small amount of water or simply hearing or seeing running water, among other things. While urinary incontinence is a problem facing many seniors today, there is help out there. An incontinence treatment can take many forms, the most simple of which is exercise. Special exercises that strengthen pelvic muscles are often given by doctors in order to maintain that the pelvic area remains healthy. Strong muscles there will tighten and restrict the flow of urine. This treatment is mainly used with stress incontinence. Other types require more invasive treatments, such as electrical treatments that use small bursts of electricity to tighten pelvic muscles if exercise will not work. There are also plenty of medications available that are aimed specifically at getting rid of urinary incontinence. Some are over the counter, while for others you will need a prescription to obtain. Some drugs loosen the bladder so it empties completely, while other tighten it to restrict flow. It’s important to talk to your doctor about using these medications because many of them have negative side effects. For example, estrogen therapy, which has been used for urinary incontinence for some time, has recently been linked to an increase in the risk for breast cancer. If you are older and worried that starting a new medication may lead to more trouble than it will solve, the use of an adult diaper is always a possibility. In fact, it is used more often than not, in order to eliminate the risks of starting a new medication, which could also adversely affect any medications you are already taking. Incontinence is not a problem that is worth that kind of risk to cure.