Don't let incontinence hold you back

Do you sometimes have to rush off to the toilet with barely a moment's notice, or do you need to go to the toilet more and more often during the day - and perhaps during the night as well? Is your lack of bladder or bowel control preventing you from doing the things you love to do? If you answer yes to any of these questions then you're in very good company. Incontinence is the medical term applied to bladder control problems or the leakage of urine; and it's a very common and distressing condition.

With proper assessment and treatment, incontinence can sometimes be cured, often improved and almost always made more manageable. Yet, fewer than 40% of people with incontinence ever seek professional help. Perhaps because they're too embarrassed or too busy; or maybe they think nothing can be done; that it's just a side effect of getting older or having children. Remember, incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. It's important, therefore, to find out what is causing this symptom. And there are several different forms of incontinence, each responding to a different form of treatment.

Medications are sometimes used to help manage incontinence; but on the other hand certain medications (and the socially acceptable drugs such as alcohol and caffeine) can cause incontinence or make it worse. So if you have bladder problems, don't keep it a secret. Talk to your Guardian Pharmacist