There are many reasons why bladder function changes. Inactivity, caffeine intake, smoking and excessive weight can all contribute to bladder health and continence. Some medications can cause bladder control problems. And structural changes and damage, such as nerve or muscular damage due to surgery or injury, can affect continence control.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Doing pelvic floor exercises regularly is a good idea for everyone, but especially for pregnant women and those who have just had a child.

Pregnancy can strain the pelvic floor muscles and childbirth can stretch, weaken or tear them. Surgical cuts during childbirth can also cause problems. If women aren't able to exercise their pelvic floor muscles before and after childbirth then some degree of stress incontinence can follow.

Sometimes, excessive pelvic floor tension can also cause bladder and bowel function problems.1

Hormones for ladies, prostate for gents

For women, hormonal changes after the menopause can contribute to muscle and tissue weakness in the pelvic floor causing continence control changes.

For men, the enlargement of the prostate gland as they grow older can cause urinary retention problems.

Infections

Urinary tract infections such as cystitis, which is bacterially based, and interstitial cystitis, a disease with no known cause, can mean frequent and urgent trips to the toilet, sometimes for only a little urine to be expelled.

Storage capacity

Infections can also contribute to a reduced storage capacity in the bladder because scarring in the interior of the bladder affects its ability to stretch and contract. Also, surgery can contribute to scarring in other parts, such as at the bladder neck.

Blocked plumbing

Blockages such as bladder stones or blockages in the urethra can cause retention. This is when urine is not easily expelled or when the bladder overflows causing a constant drip.

Constipation can cause a mass in the bowel which puts pressure on the bladder and affects its functioning.

Very rarely tumours cause blockages.

Slippages

Prolapse is when something slips out of its correct position, for instance the bladder. When that happens, continence control is affected. Surgery can correct prolapse.

Surgery

Surgery for prostate enlargement can cause damage to men's plumbing, specifically the sphincter muscle at the bladder neck. Other procedures, such as hysterectomy (removing the uterus) or removal of blockages or lumps can sometimes leave behind bladder control problems due to muscle or nerve damage.

Nerve damage

The bladder and the muscles involved in bladder control and urination are dependent on sensory communications to the brain by nerves. When these nerves or their pathways are damaged problems arise. Damage can be due to surgical procedures, injury from accidents, such as spinal injury, or because of diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Multiple Sclerosis.

Conditions and disease

Untreated diabetes can give rise to incontinence. Also, people who are living with chronic diseases or neurological conditions often require some continence control support. Among these are stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, spina bifida and brain tumours.