Bladder and bowel conditions are hard to talk about, even though one in four of us will face this issue in our lifetime.
This article was originally published in the Autumn 2022 edition of Bridge magazine by Continence Health Australia (formerly known as the Continence Foundation of Australia). To access the full original article, including reference details, please contact Continence Health Australia directly.
Authors
Dr Joan Ostaszkiewicz, Director Aged Care Division, National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) and Ms Elizabeth Watt, Senior Research Fellow, Aged Care Division, NARI
Bladder and bowel health
Most people find speaking about bladder and bowel issues difficult. Even with health professionals, trusted loved ones, or friends. Another barrier for people seeking help for a bladder or bowel issue is the idea that the problem is simply related to ageing.
There are many changes in the body that are the normal result of ageing. The most obvious changes are the tone and elasticity of our skin and muscles.
A reduction in muscle tone can affect the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. This makes it more likely that you leak urine. Especially when you cough, sneeze, bend, rise from sitting to standing, or lift something heavy.
The pelvic floor
Like any other muscles in the body, the pelvic floor muscles need to be exercised to maintain their strength. For a strong pelvic floor, add pelvic floor muscle exercises into your daily routine.
A loss of muscle tone can also affect bowel continence. As we age, bowel motility reduces which may lead to constipation.
Constipation can cause further bowel issues including faecal incontinence. It can also contribute to urinary incontinence by putting pressure on the bladder. Constant straining leads to stretching of the pelvic floor muscles.
To reduce these issues, you can change your fluid and food intake. Correcting your toileting position and doing more exercise can also help.
Adults normally need to empty their bladder about four to six times a day. As we age, reduced bladder muscle tone and capacity to hold urine can result in increased urinary frequency and the need to go to the toilet more often.
Take your time when you go to the toilet and make sure that you are not rushing, so that you are able to empty your bladder or bowel completely. Despite the temptation to do so, don’t go to the toilet ‘just in case'. If you are over 65 years of age, it is not unusual to need to get up once during the night to pass urine.
