It isn't uncommon to come across the belief that incontinence is a normal part of aging - something to be expected as we get older. In reality, incontinence is always caused by something that isn't working quite right in the body. While incontinence is more common in the elderly, it is never "normal". The following are all factors that do change in your bladder function as you age:

• Your kidneys no longer condense your urine as well as they once did, resulting in greater amounts of urine needing to be passed.
• The bladder, which is elastic and stretches as it fills, becomes a bit smaller and holds less urine.
• When you urinate, your bladder contracts to help push the urine out. As you age, the bladder's ability to contract decreases, sometimes leaving residual urine in the bladder.
• Nerves in the bladder wall alert you to the need to urinate. As you age, you may experience changes in your central nervous system that slow the message from the bladder, giving you less time to find a toilet.
• Many women experience decreased strength and elasticity in their pelvic floor following the estrogen drop after menopause. This change can decrease sphincter control, making it harder to keep urine in when you experience physical stress such as laughing, coughing, or sneezing.
• Men can experience an enlarged prostate as they age (BPH), affecting the bladder's ability to empty completely.

So, while aging in and of itself doesn't actually cause incontinence, you can see that there are several age-related changes to your body that may affect your bladder control. Just as we now know the benefits of exercising the mind as you age, there are also things you can do to help preserve strong bladder function.

• Allow your bladder to "exercise". Many of us often heard from our parents while growing up to empty our bladders before we left the house. This "just in case" emptying can be detrimental to good bladder health, as it doesn't allow the bladder to stretch.
• Just the opposite of the above, another problem is holding your urine for far too long. The bladder is a muscle, and if stretched to capacity at all times it will begin to loose its elasticity. A safe rule to practice is to urinate every three to four hours.
• Don't smoke, because the coughing that smoker's experience can cause small tears in the pelvic floor, leading to stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
• Maintain your weight - extra weight puts extra pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor.
• Keep an open and honest dialogue going with your doctor. If you start to notice some leakage, he or she may be able to help you identify a medication that may be contributing to the issue, foods that could be eliminated from your diet for increased control, or any major medical problems of which the incontinence may be a symptom.