This is a common problem in all age groups, but it is especially a source of difficulty for older adults. Approximately 1 in 10 adults aged 65 or older experience some form of urinary incontinence, ranging in severity from mild to severe, and affecting more women than men. If you are troubled by involuntary urine leakage, you should see a doctor. The most common kind of urinary incontinence in women is stress incontinence, in which urine leaks during lifting, exercise, coughing, sneezing, or laughing. It is caused by relaxed pelvic muscles that may have been stretched or torn during child-bearing.
Overflow incontinence is common in older men when an enlarged prostate gland constricts the urethra.
It is also common in women who are unable to empty their bladder due to a long history of infrequent urination. This causes small amounts of urine to leak from a bladder that never completely empties and is often full. Urge incontinence is an inability to hold the urine once the urge to urinate occurs. You are unable to get to the bathroom in time. It often occurs with Parkinson's disease, stroke , or multiple sclerosis.