One myth that we try to dispel at the Incontinence Institute is that incontinence is something that just happens with age. On the contrary, urinary incontinence is not a normal part of aging.

Many people wonder, does aging affect incontinence? Yes. Does aging cause incontinence? No.

Although incontinence is more likely to occur with aging, it is certainly not a normal aspect of the aging process that we all go through. The correlation between aging and incontinence is there, but aging does not automatically mean you will suffer from incontinence. It just increases your risk.

Incontinence affects millions of people, and unfortunately many of them do not seek treatment because they rationalize that it is normal, it’s not. Incontinence is isolating. It can be embarrassing, and negatively impact your quality of life.

Incontinence can happen due to a variety of factors childbirth, prostate cancer, hysterectomy, obstructions, aging and more. Aging of the bladder muscle can lead to a decrease in the capacity of the bladder. This in turn means it can store less urine, and leads to overactive bladder symptoms.

It is not normal to be constantly mapping the closest route to a bathroom, canceling plans, avoiding social situations, wearing only dark clothing, or avoiding exercise due to urinary leaks. Incontinence is a medical condition, and can be treated. You do not need to learn to deal with it, and you cannot control it on your own, especially when it starts to take over your life. Incontinence is not a normal part of aging, childbirth or menopause. Though menopause and bladder control problems can be linked, menopause does not necessarily cause incontinence.