Managing incontinence due to detrusor instability.

Urinary incontinence affects around 3.5 million people of all ages in the UK. For many, incontinence severely restricts their routine activities and damages their quality of life and self-esteem. In about one-third of women sufferers, and around a half of all men with incontinence, the cause is detrusor instability. This condition is characterised by involuntary bladder contractions or pressure rises during bladder filling, which result in a strong or uncontrollable urge to pass urine and, often, incontinence. Here, we consider a primary care-based approach to managing urinary incontinence in adults, concentrating on the medical management of detrusor instability.