What is incontinence?

Incontinence is the accidental loss or bladder or bowel control.

Incontinence covers a range of symptoms, from:

• having just a small leak of urine (wee)
• completely losing control of your bladder or bowel (doing a wee or poo when you didn’t mean to)

In Australia, 1 in 4 people have incontinence. It affects females and males of all ages.

What symptoms are related to incontinence?

Your symptoms will depend on the type of incontinence you have.

Urinary incontinence

A common form of incontinence is urinary incontinence, or poor bladder control.

Some people with urinary incontinence just leak urine (wee) occasionally when they sneeze, laugh or exercise.

Others completely lose control of their bladder, so they wet themselves. Some people may need to visit the toilet very often or very suddenly.

Faecal incontinence

The other form of incontinence is faecal incontinence, or poor bowel control.

People with faecal incontinence poo at the wrong time or in the wrong place. You might accidentally pass wind (fart) or stain your underwear.

If you are worried a health condition might be causing your incontinence, check out your symptoms on healthdirect’s Symptom Checker.

What causes incontinence?

Incontinence can affect people of all ages. There are some things that can increase your risk of incontinence.

Risk factors for urinary incontinence include:

• being pregnant
• having ever been pregnant
• menopause
• being overweight or obese
• having a urinary tract infection (UTI)
• being constipated
• having problems with mobility (which can stop you getting to and using the toilet)

Other risk factors for urinary incontinence are:

• having prostate problems or surgery to remove some or all of your prostate
• having had a hysterectomy (removal of your uterus)
• having a condition that affects your nerves or muscles
• some other health conditions, such as diabetes or an ongoing (chronic) cough
• some medicines

Additional risk factors for faecal incontinence are:

• having urinary incontinence
• having chronic (ongoing) diarrhoea
• having dementia

How is the cause of incontinence diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and how they are affecting your life. They may do a physical examination to help find a cause for your incontinence.

Your doctor may recommend some tests, depending on your situation.

When should I see my doctor?

The Continence Foundation has developed a list of questions to ask yourself if you think you may have bladder or bowel control problems. It’s worth seeing your doctor if you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions:

• Do you sometimes feel you have not completely emptied your bladder?
• Do you have to rush to use the toilet?
• Are you frequently nervous because you think you might lose control of your bladder or bowel?
• Do you wake up twice or more during the night to go to the toilet?
• Do you sometimes leak before you get to the toilet?
• Do you sometimes leak when you lift something heavy, sneeze, cough or laugh?
• Do you sometimes leak when you exercise or play sport?
• Do you sometimes leak when you change from a seated or lying position to a standing position?
• Do you strain to empty your bowel?
• Do you sometimes soil your underwear?
• Do you plan your daily routine around where the nearest toilet is?

You might find the idea of discussing bladder or bowel problems embarrassing. But doctors are used to treating people with all kinds of conditions, and there is no need to feel embarrassed when discussing incontinence.

How is incontinence treated?

The treatment for incontinence will depend on:

• the type of incontinence
• the cause of your incontinence

Living with incontinence

Your doctor may refer you to a continence health professional to help you manage your symptoms:

• at home and work
• on outings
• while exercising
• in your relationships

There are products available to help you live with incontinence, such as:

• pads
• pants
• catheters
• bedding protection

The Australian Government and state and territory governments may subsidise some of these products if you are eligible. Your continence nurse adviser can help you to apply.

Can incontinence be prevented?

There are several ways to prevent incontinence, or to stop it from getting worse.

Lifestyle measures

Drink plenty of fluids every day unless your doctor tells you not to. Don’t cut down on fluid even if you have poor bladder control.

Eat a healthy diet containing plenty of fibre.

Keep healthy by:

• making sure you’re not overweight
• doing enough physical activity
• quitting smoking and vaping

Practise good toilet habits

Always go to the toilet when you have the urge to poo. Try not to go ‘just in case’.

Sit on the toilet, leaning forward with your elbows on your knees. Support your feet on a footstool if needed. Don’t hold your breath or strain.

Complications of incontinence

Some of the general complications of incontinence can include problems with self-esteem, motivation and independence.

Resources and support

The Continence Foundation of Australia has information and support for people with incontinence, including:

• Easy to understand booklets.
• Resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
• Incontinence information in languages other than English.
• Incontinence in Confidence, which offers advice and support for young people with incontinence.
• The National Public Toilet Map, which shows the location of more than 22,000 public toilet facilities across Australia.
• Information about caring for someone with incontinence.

You can call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.