If you are experiencing an uncontrollable urge to urinate you may have a condition known as overactive bladder or urge incontinence. This form of incontinence is fairly common among older people and it can inhibit the way you lead your life if left untreated or improperly managed. So just what is urge incontinence exactly?
It's called urge incontinence because the bladder get's mixed signals through a damaged nerve or some diseases that causes the bladder to contract or spasm. This signal comes without warning and the contraction is powerful enough to force open the sphincter muscle that controls the flow of urine resulting in an involuntary leakage. Obviously this is embarrassing as well as uncomfortable.
Incontinence, regardless of the form, is not a disease but a symptom of some underlying condition and that's why your first stop to controlling it should be your doctor's office. It's important to find or rule out serious illnesses and conditions so that the correct treatment can begin. Therapy for urge incontinence may be as simple as a change in lifestyle including diet and exercise. Medication and surgery also offer up solutions if the condition can not be controlled naturally.
There are occasions where the actual cause of urge incontinence can't be defined. Triggers, such as the sound of running water might be uncovered, but the actual source of the mixed message to the bladder may not be. So it's easy to answer the question "what is urge incontinence" but sometimes not so easy to find a permanent fix. However that does leave you with the option to manage the condition using incontinence products like pants, pads and mattress covers which means you can continue your normal active life without fear of public accidents. Incontinence is not part of the natural aging process and does not have to be a life changer.