2017

Cancer charities Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer have today announced that they are merging to create the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity.

Harriet Foulkes-Arnold, 34 from Shrivenham, suffered from leaks after having her first baby and found it had a huge impact on her confidence and the way she lived her life.

Calling all men! Ditch the razor this month, create a little extra winter warmth for your face and help raise awareness of bowel cancer. Yes this month is Decembeard!

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week takes place each year between the 1st and 7th December. Crohn’s and Colitis UK are working hard to make these forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease better understood.

We’re always grateful to our community for sharing their stories and letting others know that they’re not alone with their bladder and/or bowel condition. This week, Ian talks to us about his life with the autoimmune bowel condition,…

The indwelling catheter is retained in the bladder by a balloon which can be inflated and deflated. Short-term (less than 30 days) or long-term (more than 30 days) drainage can be maintained but the end of the catheter should either be…

There are many products on the market that can help you feel more comfortable and more confident when suffering from either bladder or bowel incontinence. There are some devices that are designed to either place pressure on the urethra or…

There are many incontinence aids and products on the market that can help you feel more comfortable and more confident when suffering from either bladder incontinence or bowel incontinence. When considering male incontinence products, many…

Bedding and chair covers are absorbent pads that can be used on your furniture, bed or car seat to protect fabrics for becoming damp, stained or from odours. You can get washable protectors and disposable protectors and both are made from…

In this section you will find helpful information and advice on some of the products and appliances used to treat a range of bladder conditions including catheterisation and products to help with bladder incontinence. The Bladder and…

Elaine Miller is a successful physiotherapist that has worked in the glamorous field of sports physio but three kids later, a sneeze followed by an uninvited wee changed the direction of Elaine’s career into women’s health.

Having a stoma shouldn’t limit your ability to travel in the UK or abroad. It may just take a little more forward planning. The Colostomy Association have developed a useful guide on travelling with a stoma. Here are our top tips. Make…

Irrigation is a system of bowel management for a colostomy in which you ‘wash’ the bowel to encourage a bowel movement. Over time your bowel will adopt this regular habit, and you should not produce waste in between irrigation sessions.…

If you have a stoma it may help to adjust your diet and exercise routine. Learn about stoma diet, and how being an ‘active ostomate’ can help you.

Looking after your peristomal skin (the ring of your skin that sits under your bag) is a vital part of your stoma care routine. It is important to avoid faeces or urine from coming into contact with your skin otherwise this can cause sore…

There are many different stoma care products for you to choose from. Your stoma nurse will probably help you choose one in the beginning. You may like to try some different pouches to see which type you find the most comfortable and most…

Straight after your stoma operation What will my stoma look like? Don’t be alarmed by the size of your stoma for the first few weeks after surgery. Your abdomen and your stoma will both be quite swollen and your stoma may also ooze…

Your Preoperative Assessment Depending on your hospital you will probably be offered a pre-op assessment a few days/ weeks prior to your stoma surgery. This assessment will involve a meeting with your surgeon to discuss any last minute…

It’s a natural part of our life and we all do it (in one form or another) and some of us have issues with it like any other part of our body but why is it that it’s not socially acceptable to be open about our bowel and having a bowel…

If you have Inflammatory Bowel Disease or an ostomy then you probably know who Sam Cleasby is. Sam is the owner of the hugely popular ‘So Bad Ass’ website and one of the most influential voices for Crohn’s and Colitis sufferers. After being…

We’re always grateful to our community for sharing their stories and letting others know that they’re not alone with their bladder and/or bowel condition. This week, Lisa, aged 35 introduces herself and tells us what it is like to live with…

We spoke to BBC Radio Essex this week to give our opinions about a man with colitis who got a parking ticket after stopping for an emergency bathroom break in Essex. Do you think he should have got fined?

Meet Lauren; she suffers with a bowel condition called Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which has led her to toilet mapping her home city of Sheffield.

Jon Burgess is an expert in Health and Wellbeing with over 15 years of experience. Join him live on Monday 16th October at 7:30 pm via a FREE webinar. Pick up tips and help on improving your life and getting a good nights sleep. Our live…

Living with a bladder condition such as Overactive Bladder can be both physically and emotionally demanding. NewLifeOutlook give you some great advice that can help to improve your bladder symptoms.

Currently there is no cure for Coeliac Disease. This condition is a considered a long-term chronic illness. You can dramatically reduce your symptoms and heal any gut damage caused by the disease by following a gluten-free diet. There is…

Coeliac Disease is a common chronic autoimmune condition that affects around one in every 100 people. The condition is a reaction of the immune system to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. You are more likely to…

In January 2016, Fi Munro was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. At the time of her diagnosis Fi was told her cancer was inoperable and terminal. Refusing to accept her prognosis, Fi dedicated her time to researching her condition and…

What does ‘welcome’ really mean? We often see the outside of Buckingham Palace on television but it’s usually only a privileged few who actually get inside. It is therefore rather exciting that there are special tours of the State Rooms…

Lauraine has IBD, which has resulted in an ileostomy and she also suffers from endometriosis and an enterocutaneous fistula. Here, Lauraine tells us her story and how she is learning to live with her illness.

The Bladder and Bowel Community works in partnership with a wide range of suppliers, brands and bloggers to enhance and support the lifestyle of our community. We are firm believers that information provides choice and enables…

This week we’ve all been inundated with those photos of cute smiling kids in their slightly too big school uniforms and large grins. Yes that’s right September is here and it’s back to school time for many children. How do you cope with a…

In support of our work in campaigning for publicly available toilets for people suffering with bladder and bowel related conditions, we are pleased to announce a partnership with Gillian Kemp, founder of the Truckers Toilets UK Campaign,…

AD This article contains links Update 29/09/17: Thank you for your interest in becoming an Innovo user tester. The application stage has now come to an end. Those who have been successful will be notified via email.Struggling with…

The only treatment for Hirschsprung’s is surgery. All children will have to undergo a procedure at some stage to connect the healthy portion of bowel to their anus in order to allow them to pass bowel motions normally. Initially, the…

Hirschsprung’s Disease is a rare congenital disorder that affects the large bowel (colon), which causes severe constipation and/ or bowel obstruction. This disease affects one in 5,000 babies born. In Hirschsprung’s Disease, the ganglion…

The RADAR key provides you with access to over 9,000 accessible public facilities around the UK. They can be found in many shopping centres, pubs, cafes, cinemas, bus and rail stations.

Share your story with the Bladder and Bowel Community and help us to raise awareness, end the stigma and connect those with a Bladder or Bowel condition.

At Bladder & Bowel we're constantly working with our partners to bring you the best discounts and offers on products that could really benefit you. For the month of August, Sealy are offing a fantastic 20% off their entire range…

Leading bowel charity, Bowel and Cancer Research have created a new identity to cement its commitment to research on bowel cancer and other crippling, incurable bowel disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel…

At Bladder & Bowel we love to talk to the amazing people in our community who in their work life, or their free time, are doing something to help others. We recently caught up with Bournemouth based fashion designer, Jasmine Stacey, who…

Shared toilet scheme for Gravesend following further public toilet closures Recent local news reports that the remaining public restrooms in Gravesend Town Centre are set to close by the end of this month. These include the toilets…

What Are Kidney Stones? Kidney stones are a fairly common condition that tend to affect people more during middle age (aged 30-60 years). Stones can form in one or both kidneys and quite often can just pass through the urinary system…

Gastroenteritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the stomach and bowel. It can be caused by a bacterial infection or viral infection. Food poisoning is also a common cause of gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis can be very contagious…

Want to know what foods irritate the bladder, or calm the bladder lining? We explore how food and drink affects our bladder and bowel, and share five conservative methods of improving bladder health.

The NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group has recently announced that they will be holding a focus group discussion regarding potential changes to how your stoma prescriptions are issued. This focus group will take place on: Tuesday…

How to Encourage a Bowel Movement when Constipated If you find yourself having difficulty going to the toilet and emptying your bowels, there are a number of non-medical methods to encourage a dormant gut to relieve you of constipation.…

This week the Colostomy Association launched the theme for these year’s Colostomy Day. Every year ostomates join together to raise awareness to dispel the stigma attached to colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies.

What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition when cells from the lining of the womb attach themselves to other parts and organs in the body. These cells act on the same hormones as the womb and build up, break down and bleed. In…

PCOS is a common condition that affects around 1 in 5 women and is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. It has a tendency to run in families. At the moment there is no cure for the condition but symptoms can be managed.