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FAQs

Bladder Control FAQ's

I have a weak bladder does your website provide information on this?

Yes. Weak bladder is also known as Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) and usually occurs when you laugh, cough, sneeze or exercise. Women are predominantly affected by weak bladder but men can experience it too.

To find out more about SUI or weak bladder please visit our Bladder Problems section. You'll find a drop down menu at the bottom of the page listing bladder problems affecting both women and men, as well as other specific conditions, including those specific to either men or women. Don't forget to read the general information on this page too, as this may help your understanding of bladder problems.

I have to go to the toilet a lot in the day, what does this mean?

Frequent visits to the toilet can be caused by an Overactive Bladder (OAB). OAB includes other symptoms such as frequency, urgency and urge incontinence, nocturia and nocturnal enuresis. To read more about Overactive Bladder please visit our Bladder Problems section. You will find a drop down menu at the bottom of the page listing bladder problems affecting both women and men, as well as other specific conditions, including those specific to either men or women. Do not forget to read the general information on this page too, as this may help your understanding of bladder problems.

What are the pelvic floor muscles and where can I find information about them?

Both men and women have pelvic floor muscles which consist of layers of muscle and ligaments that stretch from the pubic bone to the end of the backbone (coccix) and from side to side. Firm, supportive pelvic floor muscles help support the bladder, womb and bowel, and to close the bladder outlet and back passage.

If these muscles become weakened, loss of urine, wind and faeces may occur. There are exercises which you can do to help strengthen these muscles called pelvic floor muscle exercises. To find out more about the pelvic floor, please visit our Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise section.

We also have factsheets for men and women on pelvic floor muscles exercises. These factsheets are part of the online registered supporters package. If you would like to find out how you can become a registered supporter and get access to online resources including the exercises sheets please visit our Support Us section.

Are there any treatments that can assist me with my overactive bladder (OAB)?

There are many treatments available that may help improve your symptoms of OAB.

These range from simple things you can do yourself (with or without support from a continence advisor) to medication and surgery. Surgery is always a final option and will not normally be considered until other more conservative methods have been tried. You should always seek the advice of a Health Professional first before you try any treatment.

To find out more about possible treatments please visit our OAB Bladder Treatments section.

Bowel Control FAQs

I sometimes cannot hold on long enough to make it to a toilet for a bowel movement, what does this mean?

If you are unable to control your bowel movements, you could have faecal incontinence; this could be a daily problem or just happen from time to time. The most common cause of faecal incontinence is damage to one or both of the anal sphincter muscles. You should discuss this with a specialist health professional to determine the cause of your problem and consider any appropriate treatments.

If you would like to find out more about faecal incontinence and some of the possible triggers please visit our Bowel Problems section.

Which pads are suitable for faecal incontinence?

Pads and pants for faecal incontinence will have a different absorbency level to those used for urinary incontinence. B&BF works with some of the suppliers of faecal incontinence pads and pants, and you can find more information in our Bowel Products section.

Please take a look to see if there is anything suitable for your needs, you can visit a companies website by following the links should you wish to find out more.

General FAQs

Where can I find out if I qualify for VAT exempt incontinence products?

The VAT exemption applies to disabled people who need to use incontinence products. It is not applicable for everyone.

It works by the supplier not charging you VAT on the items you purchase as opposed to receiving a refund from HM Revenue and Customs.

To find out more about the VAT exemption please visit the HMRC website .

Can I get pads on prescription?

What is available on the NHS varies throughout the country. Each primary care trust (PCT) has its own contract to supply incontinence products and its own eligibility criteria. To find out if you can get your incontinence pads, products and appliances for free, ask your local district nurse (get details at your GP surgery) for an assessment. They can advise you on whether you're eligible. If you are, they can arrange for a regular supply of pads to be delivered to you, if this service is available.

You should be supplied with as many pads and other continence supplies as you need. If this doesn't happen or you have any concerns, tell your healthcare professionals. If you prefer, seek advice from your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), which can be contacted through your local PCT.

Where can I get free samples?

Many of the companies listed in our product sections will provide samples upon request. This is great if you are unsure of what product you may need as you can try before you buy, some samples are even provided for free. If you would like to see if you can receive some samples please visit our Bladder Product Section and Bowel Product Section where you can select products and suppliers.

Is the information on your site suitable for under 18s?

Although our charitable aim is to provide help and support for adults aged over 18 years, this does not necessarily mean that the information on our site is not relevant to younger people. Many of the symptoms and conditions mentioned on our site are not age related. If you are under 18 years of age, you should use the information on our website with care and we would advise that anyone under the age of 18 years should seek the support of an adult when considering any information or advice from our website. It should be noted that within the NHS anyone under the age of 18 years will be seen and treated by the childrens or paediatric services.

If you are under 18 years of age and need help or advice, we would recommend you try and speak to your parents or other family members for support. If this is not possible you can call our helpline and talk to a specialist nurse in confidence. The B&BF helpline is a totally confidential telephone service providing specialist nursing support for people affected by either bladder or bowel problems or both. The service is operated via an answer phone which is open to callers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will need to leave your name and a telephone/mobile number so we can call you back.

I would like to join an online forum to share my experiences and talk to others in a similar position. Where can I find out more about online forums?

B&BF now works in partnership with an independent organisation called Talkhealth to promote continence issues and raise awareness of bladder and bowel problems via TalkHealths online forum service. Visitors to the B&BF website will now be able to join this forum or simply browse the posts by following a direct link to this online community.

There are many forums on this site, but the ones mainly associated with incontinence are Continence, Prostate and Menopause forums.

The Talkcontinence Forum is managed and run in its entirety by the Talkhealth team and you can access it by visiting the Talkhealth website.

What is the Radar Key?

The National Key Scheme (NKS) offers disabled people independent access to locked public toilets around the country. Toilets fitted with National Key Scheme (NKS) locks can now be found in shopping centres, pubs, cafes, department stores, bus and train stations and many other locations in most parts of the country.

Although these essentially are disabled toilets, you can still gain access to them if you have the key.

If you would like to find out more about the Radar key please visit the Radar website.

FAQs About B&BF

What is the Bladder and Bowel Foundation (B&BF)?

The Bladder and Bowel Foundation (B&BF) is the UK wide charity for people with bladder and bowel control problems. B&BF provides information and support services for adults aged 18 years and over, their families, carers and healthcare professionals. The charity is not funded by the Government or NHS and relies solely on the financial support of companies, individuals and grants to fund its work.

Helpline: 0845 345 0165
General enquiries: 01536 533255
Email: info@bladderandbowelfoundation.org
www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org

SATRA Innovation Park, Rockingham Road, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9JH
Registered Charity Number 1085095

What sort of services do you provide?

We provide an urgency card, called a - Just Cant Wait - toilet card, for people who have to rush to the toilet. The card shows that the holder has a medical condition that may require the urgent need of a toilet. It can be used to help gain access to a toilet when out and about at the discretion of the shop or business in question. Please visit our toilet card page for more information.

We can also put people in touch with their nearest continence clinic so they can be assessed by a continence advisor. A continence advisor is a nurse or physiotherapist who has specialised in bladder and bowel problems. These clinics are part of the NHS, so offer a free service. Patients can ring most clinics direct to make an appointment.

We have a helpline which is a totally confidential telephone service providing specialist nursing support for people affected by either bladder or bowel problems or both. It is staffed by specialist continence nurses and physiotherapists who bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge gained over many years working with patients who suffer from a variety of bladder and bowel symptoms. The service is operated via an answer phone which is open to callers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will need to leave your name and a telephone number so we can call you back.

B&BF provides a range of patient-friendly information booklets about bladder and bowel problems that explain the causes, symptoms and possible treatment options. The booklets also offer advice and tips on coping with these problems. Titles we currently produce include:

• Dispelling the Myths - The truth about bladder and bowel disorders
• A Healthy Bladder, What to do if things go wrong
• Bowel Problems, What to do if things go wrong
• Only When I Laugh, Cough or Sneeze! A guide to stress urinary incontinence
• Just Can't Wait, For people who have to rush to the toilet
• Skin Care - Care and protection for your most vital asset
• Facing up to Incontinence a collection of personal stories
• B&BF Services Leaflet - General services and contact information
• Pathway to Success, your guide to Overactive Bladder

We also have a range of fact sheets covering more specific information. New titles are continually being added. For example, product information ie, pads; penile sheaths; catheters; hand held and body worn urinals; information on surgery options; medication; dietary information; skin care and hygiene; urinary tract infections, prolapse; male and female specific symptoms; Diverticular Disease.

A full list can be requested by calling 01536 533255 or found in our Resources section.

B&BF also publishes its own magazine twice a year, covering the latest news on new treatments and products, personal stories, research information and special features. The magazine is freely available to all our registered supporters and can be read online (as a registered online supporter) or can be posted out. Magazine back copies are also available free of charge.

Where can I get the details of the nearest continence clinic and how will I know if I can self-refer?

B&BF has an online continence clinic database which is available to our online Registered Supporters. This search facility helps to locate the details of your nearest continence clinic. The search is activated by inputting your post code. The results will show name, address and contact details of the nearest clinic, including referral information.

To visit our continence clinic database please visit our Specialist Services section. Alternatively you can ring us on 01536 533255.

Do you have a membership fee?

B&BF is not classed as a membership charity, however, as a charity not funded by the Government or the NHS we are reliant on the generous donations and financial support of individuals and organisations to continue our vital work. There are two supporter packages available online; one for individuals and the other for health professionals.

As a registered individual supporter you can access and download all our literature and information resources online, access our continence clinic database service; receive our Just Can't Wait toilet card and copies of our bi-annual magazine in the post (these can also be read online). Annual registered support for an individual is GBP10.00 per year.

Annual registered support for health professionals is only GBP20.00 per year. As a registered health professional you will have access to read and download all our literature and information resources online, receive copies of our bi-annual magazine in the post, access our continence clinic database and order bulk hard copies of resources at reduced prices. You'll also benefit from a 20% discount on our E-Learning modules.

To find out more about becoming a registered supporter, please visit our Support Us section.

How is Bladder and Bowel Foundation (B&BF) funded?

B&BF relies on the financial support of companies, individuals and grants to fund its work. The vast majority of funding comes from companies and organisations involved in providing care for people with bladder and bowel problems, with the balance sourced from grants and public and professional subscriptions through our two registered supporter schemes.

Additionally, we accept donations, gift aid and legacies. To donate now please click here.

How can companies and organisations support you?

Support can come in various forms. From fundraising activities to TV campaigns; there is no limit to the ways in which people can support us.

Companies can support B&BF by joining our Corporate Partnership Programme. Over and above a standard website package, there are no fixed levels of support as we prefer to negotiate bespoke packages based on the clients strategic aims and objectives, and those of B&BF. Corporate packages can include support for marketing, PR or sales orientated projects, and options such as bringing a new product to market, re-branding or improving a current product, market expansion, increasing sales or a targeted media led PR campaign.

Funding received via the Corporate Partnership Programme is vital, without continued support, B&BF would not be able to exist. More information on corporate support can be found in our Support Us section.

Non-commercial organisations can help support B&BF by introducing their visitors/customers to our services and website. Creating links to pages on our site and our resources is a fantastic way of supporting us and helping to raise awareness. Please contact us if you would like more information about reciprocal links.