Stress incontinence: Urine leaks when you exert pressure on your bladder via anxiety, coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting something heavy.

Urge incontinence: You have a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine. You may need to urinate often, including throughout the night. Urge incontinence may be caused by a minor condition, such as infection, or a more-severe condition, such as a neurologic disorder or diabetes.

Overflow incontinence: You experience frequent or constant dribbling of urine due to a bladder that doesn't empty completely.

Functional incontinence: A physical or mental impairment keeps you from making it to the toilet in time. For example, if you have severe arthritis, you may not be able to unbutton your pants quickly enough.

Mixed incontinence: You experience more than one type of urinary incontinence.

Indicate a more serious underlying condition requiring health professional intervention.

Cause you to restrict your activities and limit your social interactions

Increase the risk of falls in older adults as they rush to the toilet

Alcohol

Caffeine

Carbonated drinks and sparkling water

Artificial sweeteners

Chocolate

Chili peppers

Foods that are high in spice, sugar, or acid, especially citrus fruits

Heart and blood pressure medications, sedatives, and muscle relaxants

Large doses of vitamin C

Urinary tract infection: Infections can irritate your bladder, causing you to have strong urges to urinate and sometimes incontinence.

Constipation: The rectum is located near the bladder and shares many of the same nerves. Hard, impacted stool in your rectum causes these nerves to be overactive and increase urinary frequency.

Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and the increased weight of the fetus can lead to stress incontinence. 

Childbirth: Vaginal delivery can weaken muscles needed for bladder control and also damage bladder nerves and supportive tissue, leading to a dropped (prolapsed) pelvic floor. With prolapse, the bladder, uterus, rectum, or small intestine can get pushed down from the usual position and protrude into the vagina. Such protrusions can be associated with incontinence. We have a program to ease natural delivery.

Changes with age: Aging of the bladder muscle (think Kegels) can decrease the bladder's capacity to store urine. Also, involuntary bladder contractions become more frequent as you get older.

Menopause: After menopause, women produce less estrogen, a hormone that helps keep the lining of the bladder and urethra healthy. Deterioration of these tissues can aggravate incontinence.

Hysterectomy: In women, the bladder and uterus are supported by many of the same muscles and ligaments. Any surgery that involves a woman's reproductive system, including the removal of the uterus, may damage the supporting pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to incontinence.

Enlarged prostate: Especially in older men, incontinence often stems from enlargement of the prostate gland, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Prostate cancer: In men, stress incontinence or urge incontinence can be associated with untreated prostate cancer. But more often, incontinence is a side effect of treatments for prostate cancer.

Obstruction: A tumor anywhere along your urinary tract can block the normal flow of urine, leading to overflow incontinence. Urinary stones — hard, stone-like masses that form in the bladder — sometimes cause urine leakage.

Neurological disorders: Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, a stroke, a brain tumor, or a spinal injury can interfere with nerve signals involved in bladder control, causing urinary incontinence.

Gender: Women are more likely to have stress incontinence. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and normal female anatomy account for this difference. However, men with prostate gland problems are at increased risk of urge and overflow incontinence.

Age: As you get older, the muscles in your bladder and urethra lose some of their strength. Changes with age reduce how much your bladder can hold and increase the chances of involuntary urine release.

Being overweight: Extra weight increases pressure on your bladder and surrounding muscles, which weakens them and allows urine to leak out when you cough or sneeze.

Smoking: Tobacco use may increase your risk of urinary incontinence.

Family history: If a close family member has urinary incontinence, especially urge incontinence, your risk of developing the condition is higher.

Riding a bicycle with a narrow seat can cut off circulation in the groin, and according to a Walnut Creek California, a urologist can often invite impotence and other urinary issues.

Being in the house too often (including in front of a computer) with a too convenient toilet nearby. When it is too convenient to pee, we hit the toilet much too soon and weakening our natural ability to restrict urine flow. This increases the need for Kegels.

Breathing pattern disorder adds to the stress and everything else negative imaginable. Breath is life. Or it isn't. 

Other diseases: Neurological disease or diabetes may increase your risk of incontinence.

Skin problems: Rashes, skin infections, and sores can develop from constantly wet skin.

Urinary tract infections: Incontinence increases your risk of repeated urinary tract infections.

Impacts on your personal life: Urinary incontinence can affect your social, work, and personal relationships.

Maintain a healthy weight

Practice pelvic floor exercises

Avoid bladder irritants, such as caffeine, alcohol, and acidic foods

Eat more fiber, which can prevent constipation, a cause of urinary incontinence

Don't smoke, or seek help to quit smoking

Get a recumbent bike or saddle seat and high-rise handlebars for your outside and inside bike, and be supported on your sit bones instead of your groin muscles.