If you’re a woman over fifty, chances are that at one point or another, you’ve dealt with an incident of urinary incontinence. Maybe you coughed or laughed too hard and urine leaked out or maybe you’ve had the problem of just not making it to the restroom quickly enough. Whatever the trigger, your moment of mishap is not uncommon- in fact, brand new polling out of The University of Michigan reports that nearly 50% of women over age 50 have experienced urinary incontinence- but remarkably, they haven’t discussed this problem with a physician. The question is why not, and what can be done?

First, you should know that there are now professional recommendations in place that urge physicians to routinely screen all women for urinary incontinence, which should go a long way toward acknowledging the commonality of this condition, thereby reducing the embarrassment around it- and educating women that this is not a normal and inevitable part of aging. While pop culture and adult diaper marketers want you to believe that this is just another challenge of aging, the reality is that much can be done to prevent or ameliorate symptoms of urinary incontinence. In fact, there are plenty of exercises, lifestyle changes, medications, and even procedures available to help keep you dry and protected. So tighten those pelvic muscles and watch how to do Kegel exercises here.