Urine travels down tubes called ureters into a muscular sac called the urinary bladder, which stores the urine.
When you are ready to go to the bathroom, your brain tells your system to relax.
Urine travels out of your bladder through a tube called the urethra. You release urine by relaxing the urethral sphincter and contracting the bladder muscles. The urethral sphincter is a group of muscles that tightens to hold urine in and loosens to let it out.
Urinary incontinence is very common. But some people are too embarrassed to get help. The good news is that millions of men and women are being successfully treated and cured.
Reading this booklet will help you. But it is important to tell your health care provider (such as a doctor or nurse) about the problem. You may even want to bring this booklet with you to help you talk about your incontinence.
Incontinence can be caused by other conditions that are not temporary. Other causes of incontinence are:
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