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Bladder Conditions and Symptoms

The first and most important point to remember is that everyone with a bladder problem can be helped and many can be completely cured.

If you have been diagnosed with incontinence problems, you can use the bladder menu to find out more information about your specific bladder condition or problem.  If you have not been diagnosed by a health professional, the following questions about your symptoms should help you find the information you are looking for.

Common Bladder Problems

Many of these symptoms can be caused by a condition called Overactive Bladder.

  • Do you have a sudden urge to go to the loo or are unable to hold on and reach the toilet in time? You may have Urgency or Urge Incontinence
  • Do you find you need to go to the loo very often and more than 8 times a day?  This may be Frequency
  • Do you often need to get up during the night? You may have Nocturia
  • Do you wet the bed at night? You may have Nocturnal Enuresis
  • If you have one or more of the above symptoms, you may have Mixed Urinary Incontinence
  • Do you leak when you laugh, cough, sneeze or exercise? You may have Stress Urinary Incontinence, called SUI for short and often referred to as bladder weakness or weak bladder
  • Do you sometimes dribble urine without noticing or need to strain to pass urine? You may have Overflow Incontinence.

Many bladder problems are common in both men and women, whilst some are related to the anatomical differences between men and women.

Once you have a clearer idea of what your problem may be or if you have been diagnosed you can visit our treatment section to see what your options are for managing your symptoms or condition. Information dealing with the more practical and emotional side of coping with bladder problems can be found by visiting the support section.

Further Help And Advice

You may want to talk through any concerns with a specialist continence nurse or GP.

You can also register for a Just Can’t Wait toilet card from our help and information section.

Urology and Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME)

Bladder health can affect people very differently depending on other health considerations. For people living with ME, there are certain conditions and symptoms which are more common. We teamed up with the ME Association to highlight how…

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)

People who are diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) experience significant bladder and bowel issues often starting before other indications of MSA are apparent. Learn more from MSA Nurse Katie Rigg who defines the condition.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) defined as a sudden unintentional loss of urine during normal day-to-day activities, also commonly referred to as weak bladder or bladder weakness.

Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is a type of urinary tract infection in the form of a painful kidney infection. It is an unpleasant illness that usually happens when bacteria travels up from your bladder into one or both of your kidneys. The kidneys and…

Urethritis

What is Urethritis? Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra which may be caused by an infection, known as a lower UTI. The urethra is the tube from the bladder through which urine flows out of the body. Infections are generally caused

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Urinary tract infections (UTI’s) are a common and usually mild infection that can affect the bladder, urethra, ureters and kidneys. UTI’s can occur at all ages, although women are particularly at risk and over 50% will experience at least…

Urinary Urgency and Urge Incontinence

An issue with the bladder, such as Urge incontinence and urgency incontinence, can cause a great deal of worry and stress, and you may start to live your life around your problem. However, there is help available. What’s the difference…

Nocturia

What is Nocturia? It can be quite normal to wake once or twice during the night to pass water. If you have to do so more often than that it can become both annoying and tiring. The need to pass water during the night is called Nocturia.…

Post Micturition Dribble

Post Micturition Dribble (PMD), or after dribble, is the name given to the problem when men experience an involuntary loss of urine immediately after they have finished passing urine, usually after leaving the toilet.

Vaginal and Recto Vaginal Fistulas

A vaginal fistula is a tract or hole that has opened up from the vaginal wall and connects with another organ in the body. The most common types of vaginal fistula are: Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) - a tract that connects the vagina and…