Whilst we tend to think of bladder and bowel health issues affecting older people, they can occur in people of any age. Young women including those who have never been pregnant can experience a range of bladder and bowel health issues.
Bed wetting
Young women may experience bed wetting (nocturnal enuresis) which may have persisted since childhood or may have developed later. Whilst this subject is rarely discussed, around 1-4% of the adult population wet the bed.
Causes of bedwetting in adults:
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an overactive bladder
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inability to wake from sleep when the bladder is full
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medical conditions such as diabetes insipidus
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sleep apnoea
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neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis or a seizure disorder
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urinary tract infection
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constipation
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anatomical issues in the bladder or lower urinary tract
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medicines – especially those that have a sedating effect such as antipsychotics
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alcohol and other drugs.
An assessment to determine the cause/s of the issue is important. The assessment findings can then be taken into consideration when providing treatment options. Contact us for more information.
Overactive bladder, urgency
Most people experience urgency from time to time and need to find a toilet quickly. It is not normal to always have difficulty “holding on “and having to rush to the toilet, or wetting yourself before you get there.
Things to check are:
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Do you go to the toilet when your bladder is full rather than putting off going to the toilet several times and then finally are unable to hold it in?
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Do you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, cola or tea?
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Are you taking medicine that is irritating your bladder?
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Do you have a health or medical condition that may be causing you to have an overactive bladder?
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Could you have a urinary tract infection?
Assessment is important to rule out any serious underlying health or medical issues before treatment is considered. Contact us for more information.
Urinary stress incontinence
Hormonal changes occurring in adolescence and during the menstrual cycle can be associated with urinary stress incontinence. Women who perform high impact activities or activities were an intense level of effort is required are more likely to experience urinary stress incontinence.
Young female elite athletes, particularly those with exceptional core muscle development, can have pelvic floor muscles that can be strong, but do not activate correctly when the pelvic floor is under pressure. Ballet dancers are another group that may need to work on relaxing their pelvic floor muscles and learning how to actively engage the muscles during activity rather than performing exercises to further build up the pelvic floor.
Being overweight will also place strain on the pelvic floor muscles which can contribute to urinary stress incontinence. The good news is that losing weight can help to resolve this problem. Contact us for more information.
Constipation
People may be at risk of constipation if they are inactive or put off going to the toilet when they need to open their bowels and do a poo. Inactivity and prolonged sitting can slow the gut and can contribute to constipation. A poor diet that is low in fruit in vegetables, and poor fluid intake can also contribute to constipation.
For more information contact us