Bowel and bladder weakness affects around one in four people during their lives - and the condition can affect men and women of any age.
The NHS estimates that up to 6 million people in the UK have some degree of urinary incontinence. Studies suggest that "major faecal incontinence" affects 1.4% of the population over 40 years old and constipation affects between 3% and 15% of the population.
More than 10 per cent of men aged 65 and over have urinary and bowel incontinence to some degree, however this group are the most likely not to talk about the problem.
Below are some of the common causes of incontinence:
Increase pressure on the stomach - including being overweight
Damage to the bladder which could be caused by surgery including prostate surgery
Certain medications
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease
Diabetes and multiple sclerosis
Alzheimer's & Dementia disease - incontinence
Constipation - faecal incontinence
Cystitis - constant urge to urinate
Disc Disorders
Female genital disorders
Heart failure - night urination
Kidney stones - urinary urgency
Paralysis - loss of bladder control
Pregnancy - bladder incontinence
Prostate conditions - night urination
Sports Injuries - bladder incontinence
If you feel that you may suffer from incontinence we recommend you first see your GP for advice as some conditions can be treated and managed. We also recommend that you visit our Incontinence UK website for offers on incontinence products - we have incontinence pads, pants, products for bed and chair and even swimwear products!
Best Wishes
Incontinence UK Team
www.incontinenceuk.co.uk