Bladder

Your bladder is a storage space or reservoir, it is like a balloon and made up of muscle that sits in the lower part of your abdomen. A size of a pear when empty and its purpose is to collect and store up urine. The urine is made in your kidneys gradually starts to fill up your bladder; when your bladder is full it transmits a signal to your brain that you need to pass urine. when you need to go, a signal from your brain tells a muscle in your bladder called the detrusor muscle to contract to squeeze the urine out through the urethra.

Urinary incontinence: There are various types of urinary incontinence. The causes of urinary incontinence can differ from muscle weakness, bladder and pelvic floor muscle coordination, poor diet and lifestyles, or a combination of them all. Natural changes can occur from pregnancy, childbirth, hormones; including menopause and this can cause urinary incontinence. Other causes of urinary incontinence include constipation, medications, caffeine and alcohol, infection, nerve damage or obesity.

Incomplete Bladder emptying:

  A sense of incomplete bladder emptying. This can be due to bladder irritation and incoordination of brain, bladder, pelvic floor, or a bladder prolapse. These symptoms can present a need to urinate just after having emptied the bladder. A continuous urge to urinate or post void dribbling leaking after urination depends on the explanation.

When the bladder is irritable, emptying will not feel pleasing due to irritation and incoordination. This is not to say that the bladder is not empty, it will give the feeling of not being empty resulting in needing to urinate frequently to ’empty’ the bladder.

BOWEL

Your bowel is not glamorous. Opening your bowel is something we all do in private so we do not talk about it to one another, even when things are not going as they should. The pelvic floor is very crucial to help you empty the bowels correctly and there several muscles and nerves involved in the process Illustrated below.

CONSTIPATION

Constipation can be the cause of and be caused by pelvic floor dysfunction. Constipation is occasional or fewer than three bowel movements per week. Symptoms of constipation usually include hard stools, excessive straining, feeling of incomplete evacuation, use of laxatives or enemas to have a bowel movement, and/or prolonged time on toilet with unsuccessful evacuation. Short periods of constipation are normal when connected to travel or menstruation, but persistent constipation can be unbearable. If you are suffering from constipation, it can be life changing, consuming and takes over your life.

What Causes Constipation?

  • Not being active enough
  • Not drinking enough water
  • Little or no fibre in your diet
  • Medication
  • Vaginal prolapse
  • Resisting the urge to poo (mostly starts in childhood)
  • Haemorrhoids or anal fissures
  • Pregnancy
  • Slow transit of faeces
  • Irritable bowel dysfunction
  • Medical condition
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction

 

FAECAL INCONTINENCE

Bowel or Faecal incontinence is inability to control the bowel movement which then result in involuntary soiling

The experience vary from individuals, It more common than people realise as people see it as a taboo topic and we don’t generally talk about it, many people will tell you they are having bowel trouble or diarrhoea rather than admit faecal incontinence.

What causes faecal incontinence?

  • Diarrhoea
  • Constipation
  •  Weak pelvic floor muscle
  •  Childbirth,
  •  Surgery, colon, hysterectomy
  • Problem with the rectum
  • Damaged sphincter
  • Chron’s disease
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Haemorrhoid
  • Neurological injury: such as spinal cord injury
  • Neurological disease : such as Multiple sclerosis
  • Neuropathy of any cause
  • It can come from  as a result of complication with longstanding diabetes:
  • Nerve damage: which can be associated with different reasons.
  • Dementia; or severe learning disability can contribute to faecal incontinence

RECTAL WALL PROLAPSE / RECTOCELE

A rectocele is a prolapse of the back wall of your vagina. It is some-times called a posterior vaginal wall prolapse, or hernia of your bowel. This happens when your rectum bulges into your vagina, because of a weakened wall between your rectum and your vagina. When this happens there’s not enough support for the back wall of your vagina making it easier to bulge downwards.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF A RECTOCELE:

  • You may find emptying your bowel more difficult and you are constantly having to strain.
  • You may have a feeling that you have not properly emptied your bowel
  • Having a constipation where you have had no issue before.
  • Having to put your finger in your vagina in order to push the poo back into your rectum / bowel.
  • Experiencing painful sex
  • You may have a feeling of heaviness.

BOWEL AND BLADDER RETRAINING

The goal of bowel and bladder retraining is to return you to a normal and convenient pattern. People who experience faecal and urinary leakage, urinary urgency, frequency, and excessive night-time voiding can show improvement with this retraining technique. Bladder retraining helps restore your bladder capacity to normal. Bowel retraining helps to keep you regular with normal stool consistency of Type 4 per Bristol Stool Chart so that defecation is easy without you having to strain, push, or force. The training usually includes a comprehensive education about bowel and bladder function, urge control, and following a schedule of urinating (voluntarily emptying your bladder) and defecating. The success of the training depends on your determination to consistently keep a specific schedule and to have follow-up appointments with your health care provider