National Continence Awareness Week

Date published: 15 September 2009

Incontinence affects people of all ages and National Continence Awareness Week, running from 21 – 25 September 2009, aims to inform people that help is available for those suffering with bladder or bowel control problems.

Around 900,000 children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 years are affected by incontinence in the UK. Research shows that 1 in 4 adults in the UK have had some kind of problem with bladder control and 1 in 10 with bowel control.

70% of incontinence is curable but people are often unaware of this. Many think they will need surgery to cure their problems, however there are non-surgical treatments available that can greatly improve quality of life, such as programmes of exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, medications to reduce bladder over activity, weight loss to reduce the pressure on the pelvic floor and bladder training.

Karon Young, Continence Advisor and Clinical Lead from Community Services Bury said:

“Continence problems can cause a lot of embarrassment so it’s not surprising that many people decide to manage by themselves. Continence Awareness Week encourages people who have untreated continence problems to regain control of their lives by seeking help.”

If you require advice please telephone your local Continence Service in confidence on 0845 026 4640. Any callers ringing before 8.30am and after 4.30pm are asked to leave a message on the answer phone. You can also contact the National Bladder and Bowel Foundation Helpline on 08453450165 for more information.