Bladder weakness: frequently asked questions

Every time you eat or drink, your body absorbs liquids. It’s the job of your kidneys to filter waste products from these fluids and make urine. A continuous trickle passes from the kidneys to the bladder, which slowly expands. When the bladder is full a signal goes to the brain indicating the need to use the toilet. Once the toilet is reached the brain then tells the large bladder muscle to squeeze and contract. At the same time it tells the support muscles (or pelvic floor muscles) that surround the urethra (the outlet from the bladder) to relax and let the urine pass.

It really depends on things like your build, age, diet and level of activity but the rough average is 4 to 8 times during the day and the occasional need to get up in the night.

One in four women over the age of 35 have a weak bladder. Pregnancy and childbirth contribute to this figure, as do the many menopausal women who have bladder weakness. However, even young girls sometimes experience leaking after strenuous exercise, and smokers are also susceptible – because they cough more frequently, which can exacerbate the condition. Too much coffee, tea or alcohol doesn't help either. So, as you can see, age isn’t the only factor.

The best way to try to prevent or reduce the number of leakage episodes is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by performing the exercises described in the Exercise Area of the website. However, these tend to be more effective if you have Stress Incontinence. Other types of bladder weakness may respond better to different treatments, but speak to your doctor first. With effective treatment and TENA products, you can soon regain your confidence.

The good news is that they often do help Stress Incontinence (the leaks you get when you cough or laugh). In fact, up to 70% of mild to moderate cases can be improved or even cured by regular and correct Pelvic Floor Exercises over 3 to 6 months.

Visit our exercise area, where you’ll find information on how to do Pelvic Floor Exercises correctly. You can even join our Core Wellness Programme and order a free DVD on the Pelvicore Technique.

You should begin to feel the benefit of exercises after just a few weeks. After eight to twelve months, you may even be symptom-free if you have Stress Incontinence! However, even if you haven't fully regained control of your bladder, you should still see some improvement.

No. Taking in less fluid will make your urine more concentrated which will in turn irritate your bladder, causing you to urinate more often. You should try and drink your usual amount or whenever you feel thirsty. However, it’s not recommended that you drink excessive amounts either as this could lead to distension of the bladder.

The good news is that leakage is pretty rare during sex so there’s no reason why you should allow bladder weakness to affect your sex life. With Pelvic Floor Exercises you could find that your sex life actually improves as your muscles strengthen. If you are worried about leaks you might want to try and empty your bladder beforehand, as well as avoiding diuretic drinks such as carbonates and coffee before making love – this will help reduce the desire to ‘go’ during love making.

If you want further advice, please call the TENA Advice Line on
0845 30 80 80 30.

Alternatively, please visit our Useful Links section for details of other organisations and websites that may be of use.

Finally, it is always a good idea to let your doctor know you are experiencing bladder problems.

All TENA products are designed for your comfort and security: with a contoured body shape, a soft surface that feels dry all the time, and the all important Odour Control™. We have a comprehensive range of size and absorbency levels. Use our Product Finder to find the most appropriate products for your needs.

It’s not recommended. Urine is thinner and comes out in larger quantities; menstrual discharge is heavier and comes out more slowly. So a more rapid absorbency technology is needed to prevent urine from leaking onto clothes.

Also, the bacteria in urine breaks down into ammonia, creating a distinctive smell that requires a specific kind of odour control and not just a perfume cover-up.

TENA products are designed specifically to tackle the unique properties of urine to keep the wearer dry, secure, protected from skin irritations and infections, and odour free.

TENA products can be found in most supermarkets and chemists.

Supermarkets usually sell the lighter TENA range of products. Chemists can offer a wider range, and if they don’t stock a particular TENA product, then they can place an order with the wholesaler.

For a list of retailers, please look in either the Products or Where to buy section of this website. Alternatively, call the TENA Advice Line on 0845 30 80 80 30.

TENA products can also be bought online at TENA Direct: www.tenadirect.co.uk

We've detailed the most common forms of bladder weakness, but there may be cases where we don't feature the specific symptoms you have. If you’re experiencing any other symptoms, we recommend talking to your doctor who can advise you on a further course of treatment.

As with your sanitary towels, you should not throw TENA pads in the toilet, but place them in the bin or, where available, a sanitary towel disposal unit. With most TENA Lady products you can use the plastic wrapping from your new pad to dispose of the old one.

Firstly, we strongly advise against any home composting of used hygiene products because it involves the risk of spreading medical remnants and harmful microbial content (and it’s also illegal in some countries).

In industrial composting, the recycling of used bladder weakness products is difficult. Removing the plastic content may mean having to install machinery and consequently increases the energy use.

An alternative to composting is biogasification. This produces methane gas that can then be used for energy purposes. 

There are many different reasons why women suffer from irritation, although hormonal changes can also make women more susceptible to irritation.

All the materials used in TENA products are assessed for their potential sensitizing properties prior to sale. As a result, our products are most unlikely to cause allergy.

No typical allergens, e.g. perfume, colophony (ingredients used in glues), and natural rubber latex, are used in any TENA product.

However, we can never guarantee that an individual is not allergic to some component and would therefore react, and we would always recommend that you seek medical attention for any kind of skin irritation or discomfort.

TENA products are disposable, and designed for one-off use.

However, TENA Fix Pants are washable, and designed to be used with the disposable TENA Comfort pad.