What is bladder control?
There are different types of continence control problems. You can find information about what these are and why they happen in this section.
What's normal?
Everyone's different but going to the toilet as many as 8 times a day and once at night is within a normal range. Tea, coffee and alcohol are among many fluids that can affect how often you go to the toilet.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is some degree of uncontrolled leakage of urine. It can range from mild to severe.
For instance, some people find that a few drops escape when they sneeze or cough. Others may get a sudden urge to pee and have to dash for the toilet before an accident happens. And others may be more severely affected and have no control over their bladder function.
For most people it's manageable, treatable or curable
Who gets it?
Sometimes people who have had a trauma of some kind, perhaps because of an accident or surgery, and those living with chronic disease can have continence troubles.
But the majority of those who have incontinence or bladder control problems are women who have had children and older people and men who have prostate gland enlargement.
The NHS estimates that between 3 and 6 million people in the UK live with urinary incontinence.1
No one knows for sure how many people live with it. It's common for people not to seek healthcare advice out of embarrassment or resignation to the condition.
For example, some women believe it's an inevitable consequence of childbirth and they should just put up with it. People also tend to think it's a normal part of growing older.
It's not a normal part of ageing. Nor is it an inevitable consequence of childbirth that should just be tolerated. For most people it's manageable, treatable or curable.
Internal Links
External Links
- Continence Foundation
- NHS Direct. Urinary incontinence
- Incontact
- BBC: Urinary Incontinence
- USA. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Footnote
1. NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia. “Urinary Incontinence.”
It's common for people not to seek healthcare advice out of embarrassment