Incontinence

It happens before you notice it. A cough, a laugh, an unguarded moment — and suddenly something is there that should not have been. A damp patch. A smell. A situation that leaves you feeling adult and yet like a child. Incontinence is one of the most silent forms of suffering there is. Hardly anyone speaks about it. Many carry it for years, hide it, buy pads in secret, calculate every toilet on every route — and feel guilty for something that is long since out of their hands.

From a medical perspective, incontinence is a weakening of muscular control over the bladder or bowel. The pelvic floor, certain nerves, certain sphincter muscles no longer work as precisely as they once did. The causes are many: births, surgeries, neurological conditions, prostate issues, advanced age. There are good therapies, and they matter.