July 2025

Bladder control problems are conditions in which a person has difficulty with holding and releasing urine.  The most common type of bladder control problems is urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is defined as accidental loss or leaking of urine. There are many different types of urinary incontinence. Two common types include stress incontinence in which leakage occurs with coughing, sneezing, or other physical activity and urge incontinence in which a strong urge occurs and urine leaks before getting to the toilet.
Bladder control problems are very common. Research estimates that nearly half of all women and about one-third of men over age 65 experience urinary incontinence. Risk factors for bladder control problems include age, being female, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, prostate issues, some other health problems, and smoking.