womens health

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.

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