Older men can become incontinent as the result of prostate surgery. But even though urinary incontinence can be improved in 8 out of 10 cases, fewer than half of those with bladder problems ever discuss the condition with their health care professional. The condition often goes untreated. Stress incontinence happens when the bladder can't handle the increased compression during exercise, coughing, or sneezing. This kind of incontinence happens mostly to women under 60 and in men who have had prostate surgery.
Urge incontinence is caused by a sudden, involuntary bladder contraction.
It is more common in older adults. Mixed incontinence is a combination of both stress and urge incontinence, and is most common in older women. Overflow incontinence , in which the bladder becomes too full because it can't be fully emptied, is rarer and is the result of bladder obstruction or injury. In men, it can be the result of an enlarged prostate. Other factors can cause incontinence such as decreased mobility, cognitive impairment or medications.