Bladder Control

Is your bladder starting to rule your life?

There are an estimate 4 – 6 million men and women of all ages in the UK who are affected by some kind of bladder problem. Quite often we just put it down to getting older but we are here to tell you that a ‘weak bladder’ is not inevitable!

In a recent US study it was found that 1 in 5 college-age females (17 – 22 years olds) suffered ‘bladder leaks’

Now, however we dress it up, whether it is a ‘few leaks’ when we cough or sneeze or a knicker-changing disaster it still means one thing – that we do not have control over our bladder, and it doesn’t have to be that way!

Take our simple questionnaire below to determine your symptoms:

Mostly pink: You could have... Overflow Incontinence. You may have a feeling that your bladder is full, even after you have been to the toilet. This is caused when the muscles around your bladder are not able to squeeze the bladder empty. It is commonly as a result of nerve or muscle damage, perhaps caused by diabetes, multiple sclerosis, surgery or in-jury. Because you can't empty your bladder completely, the bladder and its associated muscles become slack and less controlled; this causes urine leaking.

Mostly blue: You could have... Urge Incontinence. This is caused by the involuntary bladder contractions that occur as the bladder fills. With this form of incontinence, you will probably be aware of the urgent sensation but will be unable to stop a leakage before getting to the toilet. Urge incontinence usually has 'triggers', such as hearing running water or 'key-in-the-door' syndrome; knowing that you will soon be able to go to the toilet can cause bladder contractions.

Mostly purple: You could have... Stress Incontinence. This form of incontinence is extremely common and affects over 4 million women in the UK. Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles in the pelvic floor or sphincter have been weakened or damaged. This is typically caused by childbirth, menopause, being overweight, constipation or chronic coughing. Incontinence or bladder weakness is usually a sign you need to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and this is where Kegel8 can help. Take a look at our range of Kegel8 pelvic toners and specialist manual pelvic floor exercisers to help you regain control of your bladder.