Introduction

It’s ironic that a condition afflicting around two million Australians – that’s at least one person in 10 – should be such the one that's least talked about. Urinary incontinence (poor bladder control) is the nation’s hidden scourge. No one group is immune: it affects women and men, the old, the young and the not so young.

More than 100,000 Australian children will wet the bed tonight, along with the vast majority of people living in nursing homes – now estimated at over 90 per cent. One in three women who have ever had a baby will experience incontinence.

It’s a condition that is seldom discussed or even taken seriously, although it can cause shame and misery, social isolation and financial hardship. Many sufferers are reluctant to talk about it even to their doctors. They come to believe their “accidents”, while distressing, are “normal”, just a sad fact of life. The need to go to the toilet often ("frequency") and the sudden, irresistible urge to go ("urgency") are also continence-related problems.

Many people have "switch off" reactions, such as "I don't have a problem" or "I've only got a small problem." Don't dismiss it in this way – little problems have a habit of getting bigger.

Learn how to keep your pelvic floor muscles healthy and strong, and how to maintain good bladder, bowel and dietary habits. Then when the pressure is on – during pregnancy, childbirth, after surgery, for example

• your pelvic floor is ready to take the strain. (There’s another bonus in taking preventative measures to avoid a leaky bladder or bowel in the future: a woman’s pelvic floor muscles are intimately linked to her sensations of sexual arousal.)

If you suffer incontinence, even just a little leak now and then, your doctor or another health professional (perhaps a continence adviser or a physiotherapist with expertise in this field) is your first resort.

There are various kinds of urinary incontinence and various causes – professional assessment and diagnosis can identify your particular problem. Then, often all that’s needed is a simple routine of subtle exercises, proper toilet habits and attention to health and diet. That’s where your second resort comes in – you and your willpower.

Incontinence can rule people’s lives. Some sufferers choose not to go out because they fear their “urge to go” at awkward moments. Instead, they become home-bound and cut off from others. Those who do get out and about can tell you the location of every public lavatory in every place they visit.

You’ll be amazed at the myths that surround incontinence, misconceptions that feed on embarrassment and secrecy. As you’ll read in these pages, some of the “precautions” incontinent people take

• drinking only tiny quantities of liquid, for example – can have the opposite effect of what they intend.

Diagnosis, management, treatment and cure allow incontinence sufferers to resume a full life. This series of articles is all about recognising incontinence for what it is – a health problem, not a personal failing. When you realise that, you can overcome any embarrassment and seek the help you need – and deserve.

This is the plan: Take control of your body and turn your life around.