But a new study, published in the August issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, challenges the popular belief that moms are hardest hit by incontinence. The recent survey of 149 nuns, conducted by researchers at the University of New York in Rochester, found that half of the participants who never delivered children vaginally, also suffered from bladder control problems. The researchers suggest we may need to lay the blame elsewhere.

Below, urologists Dr. David Chaikin from the Weill Cornell Medical College, and Dr. Jonathan Vapnek from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, talk about how to diagnose and treat this all-too-common problem.

Can you describe some of the signs of incontinence?
JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: One of the signs is urgency, which causes people to feel they need to urinate often, and perhaps often at night. Another type of incontinence causes people to leak urine when they cough or sneeze.

Do you see people simply make adjustments in their lives to accommodate this problem?
DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: Absolutely. There are patients who can tell you exactly where they can find toilets on their way to work. I've had some patients who know 20 toilets on their way to work, and they stop at each one before they get to work. Now that's an extreme case, but there is no question that patients have figured out ways to cope with incontinence.

Other people decrease the amount they drink at night. Others simply use pads or diapers or absorbent products to hide the problem. But incontinence can often be treated easily, and a lot of times these measures aren't necessary.

In a first visit, what sort of information should a person be prepared to share with a doctor about incontinence?
DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: It's important for a patient to be able to articulate his or her symptoms to the doctor. People should think about what bothers them and be able to describe it.

Another thing that's very useful is a "voiding diary", which is a 24-hour chart of how often they go to the bathroom. The diary could include frequency and timing of urination, and volume of urine, in addition to any other symptoms they are experiencing.

What happens after you have spoken with the patient about their symptoms?
JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: The physical exam is the next step. Once the history and physical exam are done, usually we'll check a urinalysis to make sure there is no blood in the urine. This helps us rule out other causes of incontinence, such as diabetes or urinary tract infection. Then we can make a diagnosis, or at least a tentative diagnosis.

What are some of the tests that urologists use to evaluate patients with incontinence?
DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: If a person goes to a urologist with symptoms of incontinence, they might undergo a test called a cystoscopy, which allows us to look inside the bladder. It's not an uncomfortable test and it's very similar to having a pelvic exam for a woman.

Another test a patient might undergo is called urodynamics. It involves filling the bladder with fluid and trying to reproduce the patient's symptoms, so we can better understand their condition, and treat it.

How long do these tests take?
JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: Most patients, on their first visit, will only need to undergo the history and physical exam. These other tests can generally wait until after the first visit. But each of the tests will only take between 20 minutes and 45 minutes.

After a diagnosis is made, what is the next step?
DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: Once a diagnosis is made, it's important to discuss all the treatment options with the patient, and there are many available, including medication, behavioral therapies, and surgical options.

First, there are once-a-day formulations such as Detrol (tolterodine), which can often provide simple and effective treatment for incontinence symptoms.

In addition to medication, we may start a behavioral training program that involves teaching the bladder to stop being overactive. This involves a variety of pelvic muscle strengthening exercises and daily-routine changes to improve bladder control.

Finally, there are some surgical options, but these are last resorts, and should only be considered if conservative treatments like medical therapy and behavioral treatments are not effective and the symptoms are still very bothersome.