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Urinary Incontinence What is it?

Urinary incontinence is the term used to describe the involuntary loss of urine from the bladder. Urinary incontinence should never be considered normal. It is always a symptom or sign of an underlying problem.

Bladder control problems can usually be cured or significantly improved if treated. Seek help now.

Who is at risk?

• One in 20 Australians suffer regularly from urinary incontinence. It has no boundary of ethnicity, sex, age or social class.

• It affects people socially, emotionally, physically, psychologically and economically.

• Women are more likely to be affected than men. In older age groups, incontinence tends to be both more common and more severe, occurring in up to 40% of people over 75 years of age.

• Bedwetting is also common in children and teenagers leading to a great deal of embarrassment and stress for the child and their family.

Despite the large number of people with incontinence and the various solutions available, society's negative attitudes about bladder control problems can sometimes make a person with such difficulties feel like an outcast. This may cause a person to become isolated and alienated from friends and peers for fear of discovery and social embarrassment.

Help is available and people need not suffer in silence.

What is the cause?

There are several different types of urinary incontinence, each with a number of possible causes. These include:

• Stress Incontinence
  The leakage of small amounts of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, straining or lifting or playing sport. Stress incontinence occurs mainly in women especially those who have had vaginal childbirth, and occasionally men, most commonly as a result of prostate surgery.

• Urge Incontinence
  The loss of urine associated with a sudden strong urge to urinate. This may be due to conditions such as stroke, an enlarged prostate gland, Parkinson's Disease, constipation or simply the outcome of a long history of poor bladder habits. In some cases the cause is unknown.

• Overflow Incontinence
  In conditions where the bladder empties poorly, urine loss may occur at inappropriate times. In males this is most commonly due to an enlarged prostate gland causing an obstruction which blocks the flow of urine. A weak bladder muscle can also result in the bladder emptying poorly;

• Functional Incontinence
  The result of a physical, mental or environmental problem such as poor mobility, poor dexterity, loss of memory or even poor building design affecting a person's ability to reach or use the toilet.

• Reflex Incontinence
  The loss of urine control resulting from damage to the nerves which control bladder function. This is most commonly found in people with spinal injuries.

Remember

You are not alone. Incontinence can be cured, treated or more effectively managed.

Where can help be found?

There are many health professionals qualified to assist you with bladder control problems. You may seek assistance from your doctor who may offer treatment directly or refer you to a specialist, or to a qualified continence advisor. You may also seek help and obtain information directly from the following sources:

• National Helpline 1800 330 066
• Continence services and clinics.
• Continence Nurse Advisors.
• Local Community Health Centres.
• Local Doctors.
• Domiciliary Nursing Services.
• Independent Living Centres.
• Continence Foundation of Australia.
• Australian Physiotherapy Association in your state (see telephone book)