Help For A Leaky Bladder

Colleen Shannon, Our Health Writer, discovers there's a lot you can do about this common problem.

- Colleen Shannon

ARE you nervous about sneezing,coughing or having a laugh because it might cause an embarrassing accident? These are some of the times when your bladder can leak, if you have a condition called stress incontinence.

Even though it’s very common, many women wait years before they seek help from a health professional. Some never mention it to anyone, and soldier on alone.

This is unfortunate because there are many ways to improve the symptoms and have a better quality of life.

This is what I heard from Emma Chappel, a Benign Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist and a member of council for the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN).

With stress incontinence, leaks can also occur when you are walking, running or lifting something heavy. It can be anything from just a few drops to a stream.