Horror fiction novelist Stephen King, say aficionados on reddit, has at least one character in every novel ("The Stand" and "Under the Dome," for example) who pees in his or her pants.
Being frightened does that to you, because the limbic system in the brain (where the fight-or-flight impulse lives) can override the command center in your frontal cortex that says, "Hey, let's wait and urinate later, say, when there's a bathroom around." And then whoosh, you've wet yourself.
But it's not just scary situations that cause bladder leaks and floods. An estimated 25 to 30 percent of men and women (far more women) deal with urinary incontinence. About 33 million have overactive bladder, others have stress incontinence (the kind that's triggered by laugh, picking up something, sneezing) or a combination of both. It can happen because of age, menopause, a sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy or childbirth. Smoking increases the risk, as does diabetes, obesity and prostate problems.
Although there are some medical (Botox), surgical (artificial sphincter) and device-based (catheters) treatments, sometimes your best bets are pelvic-muscle-strengthening exercises called Kegels (with biofeedback) and cognitive behavioral therapy that helps your mind and body take control of your responses. One recent study found that a two-hour group bladder control class created improvements in urination frequency and severity of the problem.
Down the road is a new device (only tested in the lab so far) called a miniaturized bio-optoelectronic implant, that uses a light-emitting device to short circuit the uncooperative bladder and allow controlled filling and emptying.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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