How does my brain influence my bladder?

The bladder is located in the front of the pelvis, and is a vital organ with a sensitive system of nerves which act as a holding chamber and also protects the kidneys from infections.

Under the brain’s control, we urinate when the bladder muscle contracts. As the bladder fills with liquid, it sends signals about its fullness to the brain. This gives us the message that we need to pee.

As we get older we can experience more urinary problems, in fact increased age means that urinary incontinence becomes more common in middle age and is in fact very common in people who are 80 or older

The brain plays a part in shaping our bladder health of course but there are also other reasons that we may experience incontinence and leaks and these are related to our pelvic floor health and how much control we have over our pelvic floor muscles.

'Latchkey' incontinence is another condition that we can experience and is caused by a force of habit. This is the urge we might get to pee as soon as we put our key into the front door.

The urge to go to the toilet can be triggered by specific things. These things could be the sound of running water or a particular action like removing your trousers or even entering the toilet. We are taught from a young age that the bathroom is associated with going to the toilet, so the closer we get to our homes the more our bladder is activated by this deep-rooted psychology that we need to go to the toilet and are almost at home.

Alongside this, techniques such as using a different door to come into the house can help decrease the urge to pee, or opening mail as soon as you get in. These activities distract your brain and help you move away from the association that you go to the toilet as soon as you get in the front door.

Interestingly you may be tempted to try and train your bladder through doing the 'just in case' pee. This is when we force ourselves to go and pee before we leave the house or before bed because we don't want to get caught out later or be woken up. You may think it's good in terms of planning for the future but it can in fact sensitise your bladder to empty at lower volumes which in turn, reduces its capacity.

Over time, this could cause your bladder to not function properly and become overactive. It’s crucial to always listen to your body and go only when you have to.

It's also useful to fully empty your bladder by using the correct peeing technique, will help you feel less urges in the day, as residue urine sitting in your bladder does trigger the brain to believe it is time to go

The first step if you are regularly experiencing incontinence and leaks is to go and see your GP. They will hopefully refer you to a pelvic floor physio or a specialist who can diagnose what the underlying problem is.

It's also important to focus on our cognitive health as we age. There are lots of activities that contribute to healthy brain ageing such as: feeding your brain with healthy food and nutrients, movement, sleep, social connection with others, managing blood pressure and blood sugar and limiting alcohol.

Finally think about your bladder health in general and consider the following. The brain is not one element in shaping our bladder health:

• Practice a healthy lifestyle – a good diet and daily exercise

• Do not ignore the desire to wee but equally don't practice the 'just in case wee' either as it trains the bladder to think we need to wee when we don't

• Stay hydrated and drink when thirsty

• Don’t smoke

Also ensure that you do your pelvic floor exercises regularly and book to see a pelvic floor physio for an initial assessment.