ITQ 2

Bedwetting is often a term that is associated with infants and young children, however a grown adult can also suffer from bedwetting! Read on to learn about what causes adult bedwetting and how to cure it.

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What is Nocturnal Enuresis?

'Nocturnal Enuresis' is the medical term for bedwetting. This involves the involuntary release of urination at night. Throughout adult life, 1 in 100 people may be affected by nocturnal enuresis. This can lead to an array of social and psychological problems. You may not feel that you can attend social opportunities, such as business meetings and holidays, therefore compromising your lifestyle quality. It can also cause you stress and affect your self-esteem, possibly negatively impacting on relationships.

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What are the Types of Nocturnal Enuresis?

There are two types of nocturnal enuresis:

• Primary Nocturnal Enuresis - The involuntary release of urine during the...

Nocturia is excessive night time urination, needing to get up in the night to empty your bladder two or more times. It occurs due to the overproduction of urine in the kidneys. 80% of reported nocturia cases are as a result of nocturnal polyuria, the overproduction of urine at night but normal production during the day. The other 20% are a result of global polyuria, the overproduction of urine all the time.

Nocturia affects up to 40% of the adult population, affecting more people with age. It can often be treated, or reduced, with a few lifestyle changes alone.

If you suffer from nocturia you may think that the biggest issue is the lack of undisturbed sleep and potential for stubbing your toe in the dark. However if you suffer from nocturia you are at a risk of:

• Obesity
• Low mood and depression
• Daytime fatigue - Exhaustion leads you to being more inefficient at everything...

Mixed urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary and urgent leakage of urine as a result of exertion; such as sneezing, exercising and coughing. It is a combination of both stress UI and urge UI, and as such is considered to have a greater impact on quality of life than each of them separately, with 32% of sufferers aged 40-64 reporting symptoms of depression.

There are many treatments available for mixed incontinence, with both those for stress UI and urge UI benefiting you. So there is no reason to allow your incontinence to go untreated for longer than needed. Even though it is not life threatening, it can greatly reduce your quality of life as it develops into fully emptying your bladder each time it is put under pressure.

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Symptoms of Mixed Urinary Incontinence...

Giggle incontinence (also known as laughter leaks) is the sudden and involuntary leak or complete emptying of the bladder, provoked by laughter. It is one of the least studied forms of urinary incontinence, and is associated with otherwise normal bladder function.

Giggle incontinence is commonly associated with children that have not yet learnt to control their bladder. However it can affect men and women of all ages.

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Symptoms of Giggle Urinary Incontinence

You may be suffering from giggle incontinence if you leak, or completely empty your bladder when you laugh.

It is often mistaken as a symptom of stress incontinence. It should not be considered as such, however, as it will not occur when you cough or sneeze.

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Causes of Giggle Urinary Incontinence

You will experience giggle incontinence if you are unable...

Functional incontinence occurs where your bladder and urinary tract are functioning properly, however due to age, illness or disability you are unable or unconcerned about making your way to the bathroom to empty your bladder. As a result, you often have a full bladder and leak. The term functional incontinence can also refer to urinary leaks as a result of medication which cause you to produce more urine than normal (diuretics) or lose the urge to urinate.

The impact on quality of life can be widespread, effecting carers, family and friends as well as the individual suffering. An estimated 3 million people suffer from functional incontinence in the UK. With the majority unable to go to the toilet independently.

If you or someone you know are affected by functional urinary incontinence, the National Institute...

Coital incontinence is when you leak a small amount of urine, or fully empty your bladder, during sexual intercourse or masturbation. In women it is often misinterpreted as female ejaculation when in small amounts. Coital incontinence is likely to occur if you are sexually active and suffer from another form of urinary incontinence. You can be left feeling unclean and no longer desirable. As such, studies suggest coital incontinence has the biggest impact on quality of life, more so than any other form of incontinence.

If you are suffering, take reassurance that you are not alone, approximately 20% of women under 60 report suffering from coital incontinence. With true figures expected to be higher. Men can also suffer from coital incontinence, whether they themselves are incontinent or their partner suffers.

There are many treatments available to resolve urinary incontinence. We have listed the specific ways you can reduce the amount you leak during sex below...

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The bladder sits in the pelvis, supported by the pelvic floor muscles and surrounding ligaments, holding it in a naturally elevated position. The bladder constantly fills with urine, and can hold 1.5 - 2 cups before giving you the urge to urinate. The muscles around the bladder remain relaxed until you are able to reach a toilet, at which point they contract in coordination with the relaxation of your urethral sphincters (which are otherwise unconsciously contracted) to allow urine to flow out of your body in a steady stream.

Urinary incontinence (UI) can occur for a huge number of reasons, including; if your kidneys produce more urine than normal; your urethra is blocked; your bladder or urethra experience nerve damage; you are psychologically unable to urinate when you feel the urge; urine is constantly present in the urethra stimulating the urge to go; or you have inadvertently trained yourself to empty your bladder when it is not yet full.

A GP will diagnose the type...

Medically reviewed by Amanda Savage 20/07/2023

Flatus incontinence (flatal incontinence) is a symptom of bowel (anorectal) dysfunction. It is defined by it being more noticeable when you pass wind, and being unable to restrain it, leaving you embarrassed. Flatulence is part of a normal, healthy digestive system and cannot be completely prevented, usually being odourless and inoffensive. The gas you release is a mix of air swallowed as you eat, drink or smoke. Alongside gas produced by the colonic microbiota (live microbes) within your digestive system as they break down your food.

If your internal sphincter has nerve damage, you may not be stimulated by the gas as it passes through. Therefore you can pass wind without realising it was coming. If you do feel the urge to pass wind, you contract your external sphincter to keep...

Faecal incontinence is a symptom of bowel (anorectal) dysfunction, occurring as a result of a dysfunctional coordination of the internal and external sphincter muscles, and pelvic floor muscles. If you suffer from faecal incontinence you will uncontrollably pass gas, and leak liquid and/or solid faeces occasionally, or multiple times a day.

The internal sphincter is unconsciously contracted throughout the day, holding waste matter in the rectum until there is enough to warrant a bowel movement. If the sphincter becomes damaged then you can lose the sensation to go to the bathroom, and it can open to allow soft or small pieces of stool to leak without you realising. This often occurs when you are moving, and is known as passive faecal incontinence.

The external sphincter is voluntarily relaxed until your rectum becomes full, at which point the internal sphincter gives the sensation to go to the toilet and you contract this sphincter. You will then relax both sphincters...

The bowel is the lower part of the digestive system. It begins after the stomach with the small bowel (small intestine), and includes the large bowel (colon/large intestine), and rectum, ending at the anus. The purpose of the bowel is to absorb nutrients and fluid from the food and drink we intake, before it is removed from the body as waste.

Food is moved along this path of organs by a series of muscles. At the top of the system they unconsciously contract and relax, and at the bottom you voluntarily control them. For waste to exit the body it passes into the upper anal canal (rectum), which is supported by the levator ani muscles of the pelvic floor. The nerve endings in the rectum are stimulated by the waste, giving you the urge to have a bowel movement. This stimulates the internal sphincter muscle to involuntarily relax and open. You consciously keep your external sphincter contracted, until you are on a toilet, at which point you can voluntarily relax it to allow for...

When you've got to go you’ve GOT TO GO!

Overactive Bladder or OAB is marked by the near constant urge to urinate, which can lead to urinary incontinence or leakage. OAB is also known as Overactive Bladder Syndrome or Idiopathic Urge Incontinence. However we refer to it, this condition can be identifyable by the following incontinence symptoms:

• Urgency – a sudden and unexpected need to pass urine.
• Urge Incontinence – you just don’t make it in time and you may leak a little or a lot.
• Frequency – needing to go to the toilet too often. A daily average should be about eight times.
• Nocturia – waking up more than once to go to the toilet...

Whether getting up in the night to wee is leaving you exhausted, damaging your self-esteem or is just plain annoying, Kegel8 can help.

Nocturia is the medical term for getting up too often in the night to go to the toilet usually more than once in a night. It’s a condition most commonly seen in pregnancy, menopause and older women, though it can happen to men and women of any age, and it disturbs your sleep and can leave you exhausted the next day. It’s considered normal to get up once in the night to go to the toilet, but any more than this, it’s wise to get it checked out and see if there is an underlying cause – because rather than suffering in silence, there is something that can be done to help.

Causes of Nocturia

In women, the most common causes of nocturia are ...