If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you may want to educate yourself about the risk factors for incontinence. However, it should be noted that incontinence is not a normal part of aging. Instead it should be understood that incontinence is often a result of certain medical conditions that happen more commonly as people age. However, this does not mean that an individual (no matter what their age), has to simply live with incontinence. Understanding the risk factors can alert caregivers and seniors to the possibility of incontinence. Then if symptoms do arise, treatment should be sought out immediately. Here is what you need to know about the risk factors for incontinence.

Gender-Both men and women have incontinence but studies show that the condition is more common with women. This tends to be from the fact that the urinary systems of women must deal with pregnancy, childbirth, and changes during menopause. In addition, the very anatomy of women puts them at more risk for incontinence. However, men with prostate problems are at higher risk for both overflow and urge incontinence.

Getting older-As everyone ages the muscles that surround the bladder and urethra will lose some of their strength. However, it is important to note that incontinence is not a foregone conclusion to getting older. Incontinence is never a normal part of life. It should be noted that incontinence is often the result of conditions that are more common as we age.

Obesity-Carrying around all that extra weight doesn’t just affect your heart and lungs but your muscles and your urinary system. If you are carrying too much weight then you are putting too much weigh on your bladder and the surrounding muscles. This can bring on stress incontinence that causes urine to leak with any physical exertion. The good news is that studies show that by losing just 5% of your body weight you can make a significant difference in the severity of your incontinence. Because being overweight is so often contributing to incontinence you should expect your health care provider to recommend losing weight if you see him or her.

Smoking-You may think that smoking is only harmful for your heart and lungs but your bladder and urinary system don’t do well with it either. Smoking poses a double whammy when it comes to incontinence. Smokers often develop a chronic cough that can make stress incontinence much worse. In addition, the chemical found in cigarettes have been found to an irritant to the lining of the bladder.

Just because a senior has these risk factors does not mean that they will develop incontinence. However, if symptoms of incontinence become present a diagnosis and treatment, should be sought immediately. Many types of incontinence can be greatly reduced or even eliminated with the right treatment.

It is important that you understand everything that you doctor will be telling you. You should not hesitate to ask additional questions, if you need to clarify anything. In addition, you should expect that your doctor will be asking several different questions, as well.Want to know about Incontinence products? Incontinence is not a normal part of the aging process. Seniors are more at risk of developing incontinence from a variety of different factors. Visit for more Adult incontinence products

It is important to understand that incontinence is not a normal part of the aging process. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/ for more details.

Author Bio: Want to know about Incontinence products? Incontinence is not a normal part of the aging process. Seniors are more at risk of developing incontinence from a variety of different factors. Visit for more Adult incontinence products

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