In women, the number of pregnancies and vaginal births also plays a role. These factors strain and damage the pelvic floor muscles, which are responsible for reliably closing the body’s openings.
Men usually encounter the issue later in life, but from around the age of 75, incontinence becomes just as common as in women. In men, the risk of incontinence increases especially after prostate surgery (prostatectomy), as the pelvic floor muscles and nerves can be affected.
Incontinence can take different forms, including urge incontinence, stress incontinence and mixed incontinence. Doctors often recommend pelvic floor training as a first step in treatment, since it is an effective, non-invasive method to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and improve bladder control.
In many cases, this form of training can help relieve symptoms such as stress incontinence or urge incontinence. Pelvic floor training is often the preferred therapy because it does not involve medication or invasive procedures and minimises the risk of side effects. Only if this measure is not sufficiently effective are other treatment options considered.
