Incontinence Many people suffer in silence when it comes to bladder control problems and incontinence. Incontinence is the inability to control reflex emptying of the bladder - sometimes because of a disorder of the organ itself but more often from loss of coordination in the nervous system.
Women experience incontinence twice more than men.
Pregnancy childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract usually account for this difference. In men it can be as a result of an enlarged prostrate gland - which occurs from about the age of 45 years. In children - bedwetting is a common problem that will in all likelihood will go away in time. The mix of factors includes slower physical development, an overproduction of urine at night, a lack of ability to recognise bladder filling when asleep and in some cases, anxiety. It is important that a child is never made to feel guilty because the rejection, shame or punishment will increase the anxiety.