Is female urinary incontinence inevitable with age?
• Answer: Although female urinary incontinence does occur more often in older women, you can take steps to minimize or even avoid the problem. Maintain a normal weight — a body mass index (BMI) of below 25 — since being overweight strains the pelvic floor. If you’re carrying an extra 50 pounds or more, you are at higher risk for female urinary incontinence. Cigarette smoking also raises your risk because chronic smoking tends to lead to chronic coughs, which can also weaken pelvic floor muscles.
