Incontinence is typically not a subject of everyday conversation but that may be changing in the near future.  This condition, which is not a disease but a symptom of an underlying problem, becomes more prevalent as we age.  Well there's a huge generation known as the baby boomers that are now moving into their late fifties and early sixties and the odds are that incontinence will become a more public topic of conversation as more and more of them experience it.

Basically there are two types of incontinency, urinary and faecal.  At it's most basic level, this condition simply means the involuntary passage of urine or a stool and it can vary in intensity from light to heavy.

The causes for a person to become incontinent can vary and they may suffer from a single cause or multiple reasons.  Muscle damage, diseases, infections, nerve damage and medication side effects are a few of the more common causes of the condition and treatment can range from changes in diet and lifestyle, to medication to surgery.

The three most common forms of urinary incontinence are stress, urge or overactive bladder and overflow incontinence.  Stress is typically caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles and can often be reversed through an exercise regimen.  Overactive bladder occurs when the bladder receives mixed messages from the nerves and suddenly contracts or spasms causing involuntary discharge of urine.  Overflow is caused by just what it sounds like.  The bladder is filled past capacity often times by a blockage or infection in the urethra.

The biggest cause of faecal incontinence is ironically constipation.  Chronic constipation can lodge a hard stool in the rectum forcing softer more liquid stools to seep around it and out.  A major concern here is that the person loses the ability to sense the movement and therefore know when to go to the bathroom.

Incontinence is a fact of life but it does not mean that it is a natural part of the aging process.  In most cases the condition can be treated and cured but in all cases it can be managed using the appropriate products.