What it is …
- Sudden urgent desire to pass urine
- Urine leaks before getting to toilet
- Increase in frequency
- Happens even if liquid intake restricted
- Can occur just after bladder has been emptied
What causes it …
- Bladder is sending message to brain informing it that bladder is fuller than it actually is.
- Bladder being irritated by strong, concentrated urine (not enough fluid or drinking alcohol/caffeine)
- “Just in case” cycle of going when not actually required
- Constipation
- Urinary tract infection
What we can do …
- The Procontinence course
- Brain and bladder re-training
- Correct engagement with the pelvic floor
What it is …
- Inability of pelvic floor muscles to deal with increase in intra-abdominal pressure
- Inability of urethra to stay closed with increase in intra-abdominal pressure
- Inability of urethra to stay closed with increase in bladder pressure
What causes it …
- Damage or weakness in pelvic floor organs
- Increased pressure in abdomen (weight, pregnancy, surgery)
- Visceroptosis (condition wherein internal organs have prolapsed to below their natural position)
- Neurological conditions
- Coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping etc
What we can do …
- The Procontinence course
- Posture – correct loading through the body
- The Knack – “squeeze before you sneeze”
- Correct engagement with the pelvic floor
What it is …
- Symptoms of both URGENCY/URGE and STRESS
What we can do …
- The Procontinence course
- Deal with the urgency first to calm down the overactive bladder
What it is …
- Physically unable to get to toilet in time
- Mentally unmotivated, unconcerned, or unprepared to find a toilet
What causes it …
- Unable to get to toilet in time due to poor mobility, unfamiliar surroundings
- Toilets being locked, inaccessible or the route blocked in some way
- Arthritis or joint replacement means you cannot undress quickly enough
- Neurological condition, dementia or delerium
What we can do …
- Incontinence products – pads or pants
- Discussion with GP or healthcare provider
- Commode
- Remove any obstacles in the way
What it is …
- Bladder unable to squeeze properly to fully empty
- For those with a penis, can cause dribbling once urination has finished
- Increased risk of infection due to residue of urine
What causes it …
- Blockage or obstruction (e.g. bladder stones or enlarged prostate)
- Nerve damage
- Some medications
- Weakening of bladder wall
What we can do …
- Discussion with GP or healthcare provider
- For those with a penis – tease out last few drops by gently applying pressure with your fingers just behind your scrotum and work up towards the base of the penis. Repeat once more and shake out any pooled urine
What it is …
- Severe and continuous
- Bladder cannot store urine at all
- Large amounts passed even at night
- Frequent leakage
What causes it …
- Congenital problem with bladder
- Spinal cord injury
- Fistula – small hole which can form in bladder
What we can do …
- Incontinence products – pads or pants
- Urgent discussion with GP or healthcare provider
What it is …
- “Voiding Reflex” similar to what a baby or toddler would experience prior to learning bladder and bowel control
What causes it …
- Neurological condition or spinal cord injury
- Nerve signals are interrupted
- Bladder stretches as urine enters, sensory receptors on the bladder walls trigger a muscular contraction, urinary voiding takes place with little or no warning
- Reflex is triggered when the rectum becomes full and faecal (stool) voiding takes place with little or no warning
What we can do …
- Incontinence products – pads or pants
- Discussion with GP or healthcare provider
What it is …
- Unable to control wind or stool (liquid and solid) from leaving the anus
- Urgency and/or leakage
- Sometimes lack of sensory feedback from the rectum means that you don’t know that this has happened
What causes it …
- Gastro-intestinal issues
- Conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diverticulitis, Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
What can we do …
- The Procontinence course
- Bowel re-training
- Discussion with GP or healthcare provider
In the "Training" section, I go into Urinary Urgency and Urge, Urinary Stress and Faecal Incontinence (and constipation) in significantly more detail with ways of improving your symptoms, hints and tips and coping mechanisms. These will help you right now then as you use them and as you add in the exercise components of the course, you will have a complete system of pelvic floor management.