One common assumption is that incontinence is inevitable as we age. This is not true, even among the very elderly. This form of incontinence is the most common kind. Stress incontinence is found often in women over the age of 40 who have borne several children. Also, post-menopausal women whose estrogen level has lowered, suffer from incontinence due to thinning of vaginal tissues.
Urge incontinence is the abrupt and unstoppable desire to urinate.
This is more common in people over the age of 60, and affects both sexes. This condition can be caused by an overactive bladder, or a bladder tumor, which would cause the bladder to contract involuntarily. In some cases, stress and urge incontinence combine. This is called mixed incontinence. Overflow incontinence is a physical obstruction that prevents the bladder from emptying completely.