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Urinary Incontinence Doesn’t Have To Control Your life

‘You in Urology’ is intended for people living with urological conditions (including bladder cancer, prostate cancer and overactive bladder) and their caregivers. The information provided by Astellas is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace the advice of a healthcare professional.

 

This website was initiated and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe. All patient and healthcare organisations involved in the development of the platform received a fee for their time.

Finding help for incontinence

Peeing very frequently or when you don’t mean to is never convenient. The good news is there are options including treatments to help manage or prevent bladder leakage.

Urinary incontinence issues can affect your life, but they don’t have to take over

Some people feel like they have to avoid social or public situations, in case of leaks.1 But doing this can mean you stop doing the things you enjoy. It could also mean you stop seeing people who are important to you. It’s important to find ways to still do these things. There are steps you can take, so if your bladder does leak, you feel prepared:

  1. Accept the situation and ask for support. It is tempting to hope the problem will go away by itself. But this could leave you feeling unprepared. It could also delay you from getting treatment.2,3 Don’t delay looking for support if urinary incontinence is bothering you.
  2. Tell people you trust. It can be hard to talk about. But dealing with it on your own can feel isolating.3 If people know what you are going through, they can support you. Feeling supported can improve your confidence.2
  3. Bring back-up. If you are worried about urine leaking onto your clothes, carry spare underwear or trousers.
  4. Know your route. If you are worried about not making it to the toilet in time, look up where they are located. There are often bars, cafes or restaurants that will let you use their toilet. Some patient organisations provide “just can’t wait” cards to help you ask discreetly.4
  5. Pee before you go out or go to bed. This might not completely prevent leakage, but it does mean there is less urine in your bladder if a leak does occur.
  6. Keep a bladder diary. Tracking your urinary incontinence can help you identify patterns. For 3-7 days, write down how often you pee, how urgently you have to pee and any urinary incontinence incidents. This will also prepare you for conversations with your doctor.5
  7. Speak to your doctor. They can recommend products or therapies to help minimise the impact of urinary incontinence on your life.
  8. Check for additional support. Depending on where you are, you may be able to apply for a disability card to have easier access to toilets or skip queues.

Your doctor can help you manage or improve your urinary incontinence

The option your doctor may recommend depends on several factors:

  • The type of urinary incontinence you have
  • What is causing it
  • Your overall health
  • Your preferences

Options range from medicines or physical therapy to surgical treatments or urinary continence products.

For all the below approaches, your healthcare professional should explain the possible benefits, disadvantages, side effects and risks. You can study this information and work with them to decide which treatment(s) might be right for you.

 

We have created a conversation guide to help you talk to your healthcare team about urinary continence.

There are medicines that could help to treat some types of urinary continence issues.6 Your healthcare professional can explain whether this is an option for you.

Behavioural and physical therapies help to improve bladder control.7 They include techniques to make bladder training more effective.7 How well they work may depend on the type or cause of urinary incontinence. 

 

Bladder training involves peeing at specific times. Gradually, you increase the time in between peeing. Pelvic floor muscle training may be helpful for some people. For example, it is sometimes recommended for men after prostate cancer surgery.8

If other treatment options have not worked, there may be surgical options that could improve urinary incontinence. How well they work can vary, depending on the type of urinary incontinence.6

 

For example, sacral neuromodulation involves implanting a device to stimulate nerves. The aim is to improve bladder control. It may help to improve symptoms for people with overactive bladder (OAB).9

 

For some types of urinary incontinence there may be other options to help improve continence. One example is a ‘sling’ placed under or around the urethra to support it. Another is an inflatable cuff placed around the urethra. This is called an artificial urinary sphincter.10,11 The urethra is the tube urine travels down from the bladder.

 

Your doctor may also check for other causes of urinary incontinence which could be treated with surgery, such as fistulas.12

Containment aims to manage urine leakage, rather than treating the cause. This can help to maintain your comfort, hygiene, and dignity. Containment can help you live a relatively normal life, with a few adjustments.13

 

Containment options include underwear pads that are specially designed to absorb urine leaks.14 These are different to period pads.   

 

Another option is a urinary catheter. This is a tube that drains urine from the bladder into a bag or the toilet.15,16

 

For men, devices like penile clamps may help prevent leaks.17 For women, there are also devices that can help prevent leaks. They are inserted inside or over the urethra.18

  1. Peinado-Molina, R. A., Martínez-Vázquez, S., Hernández-Martínez, A., & Martínez-Galiano, J. M. Impact and influence of urinary incontinence on physical activity levels. European Urology Open Science, 55, 50–58 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2023.07.004
  2. HARTMANN. Hartmann Incontinence Study. Breaking the silence: A European report. Edelman Intelligence (2019)
  3. Bladder & Bowel UK. Understanding the stigma of urinary incontinence. Available from: https://www.bbuk.org.uk/understanding-the-stigma-of-urinary-incontinence/. Last accessed: April 2026
  4. Bladder & Bowel UK. Just Can't Wait Card. Available from: https://www.bbuk.org.uk/just-cant-wait-cards/. Last accessed: April 2026
  5. The Urology Foundation. Bladder diary. Available from: https://www.theurologyfoundation.org/app/uploads/2024/01/Bladder-diary.pdf. Last accessed: April 2026
  6. NHS. Urinary incontinence. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/. Last accessed: April 2026
  7. Burgio, K.L. Update on Behavioral and Physical Therapies for Incontinence and Overactive Bladder: The Role of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training. Current Urology Report, 14, 457-464 (2013). DOI 10.1007/s11934-013-0358-1
  8. Prostate Cancer UK. Pelvic floor muscle exercises. Available from: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/living-with-prostate-cancer/pelvic-floor-muscle-exercises. Last accessed: April 2026
  9. British Association of Urological Surgeons. Sacral Neuromodulation Information about your procedure from the British Association of Urological Surgeons [Brochure]. Available from: http://rb.gy/l5ldj. Last accessed: April 2026
  10. American Cancer Society. Bladder incontinence (urine leakage). Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/stool-or-urine-changes/bladder-incontinence.html. Last accessed: April 2026
  11. Constable, L., Abrams, P., Cooper, D., Kilonzo, M., Cotterill, N., Harding, C., Drake, M. J., Pardoe, M. N., McDonald, A., Smith, R., Norrie, J., McCormack, K., Ramsay, C., Uren, A., Mundy, T., Glazener, C., & MacLennan, G. Synthetic sling or artificial urinary sphincter for men with urodynamic stress incontinence after prostate surgery: The MASTER non-inferiority RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 26(36), 1–152 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3310/TBFZ0277
  12. Urology Care Foundation. Bladder Fistula. Available from: https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/b/bladder-fistula. Last accessed: April 2026
  13. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Urinary incontinence in women. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs77. Last accessed: April 2026
  14. NHS. Incontinence products. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/incontinence-products/. Last accessed: April 2026
  15. NHS. Urinary catheter. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/urinary-catheters/. Last accessed: April 2026
  16. NHS. Living with a urinary catheter. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/urinary-catheters/living-with/. Last accessed: April 2026
  17. Bladder & Bowel UK. Male incontinence products. Penile compression devices. Available from: https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-incontinence-products/male-incontinence-products/. Last accessed: April 2026
  18. Continence Product Advisor. Female devices. Available from: https://www.continenceproductadvisor.org/femaledevices. Last accessed: April 2026

MAT-GB-NON-2025-00405 May 2026