How the bladder works...
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Bladder and bowel health and functions
Bladder and bowel health and functions
Our bodies take the nutrients from what we eat and drink.
Our bodies take the nutrients from what we eat and drink.
These nutrients feed and maintain our bodies to provide growth (in children and young people), repairs and energy. After the body has taken what it needs, waste products are left behind. The amount of urine will depend on how much fluid and food a person has consumed and how much is lost naturally through sweat and breathing.
The urinary system removes urea from the blood via the kidneys.
The urinary system removes urea from the blood via the kidneys.
The kidneys filter about 170 litres of blood each day. This produces about 2 litres of urine. Small amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder every 10-15 seconds. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to empty it. Circular sphincter muscles help keep the urine from leaking.
Nerves in the bladder signal to the brain when it is time to empty the bladder.
Nerves in the bladder signal to the brain when it is time to empty the bladder.
When you urinate, the brain signals the bladder muscles to tighten, squeezing urine out of the bladder. At the same time, the brain signals the sphincter muscles to relax. As these muscles relax, urine exits the bladder through the urethra. When all the signals occur in the correct order, normal urination occurs.
Habits of a healthy bladder...
Have you ever had pink coloured wee?
Have you ever had pink coloured wee?
Urine is usually clear or pale yellow with a mild smell. Some foods and fluids can change the smell and colour of urine, for example, asparagus. More on this later.
By understanding this, you will know if someone needs to drink more fluids.
Key things people can do to maintain bladder health:
1. Drink plenty of the right kind of fluids
Our bodies need water or other fluids to work properly and to avoid dehydration. In the UK climate, we should drink about 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) of fluid every day to avoid dehydration. When you visit hotter climates, your body will need more than this.
Some fluids come from our food. Not all fluids are 100% good for us, for example, alcohol and caffeine (found in tea, coffee and carbonated soda drinks) should be taken in sensible volumes.
2. Maintain a healthy weight and take regular exercise
This can help prevent lots of health problems, including bladder and bowel problems.
3. Do pelvic floor muscle exercises
This will help the bladder to hold urine and stop it from leaking.
4. Urinate at least every 3 to 4 hours
If you hold urine for too long, it can weaken your bladder muscles and increase the likelihood of infection
5. Take your time and relax
Rushing means you might not empty your bladder properly. Women should sit on the toilet seat to help the muscles relax. Hovering over the seat is not recommended.
6. Wipe from front to back
This stops bacteria from getting into the urethra. It is very important after a bowel movement.
Imagine spending your whole life wiping from back to front, then you find this out and start trying to wipe from front to back. It's like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time. Pretty difficult. So, if you have children, make sure you check they are wiping from front to back. Believe me, it's a very difficult habit to change later on in life.
7. Wear loose-fitting clothes and cotton underwear
This keeps the area around the urethra dry. Tight fitting clothes like jeggings, jeans and nylon underwear can trap moisture allowing bacteria to grow.
8. Urinate after sex
This is recommended for both men and women to remove any bacteria that could have entered the urethra during sex
How the bowel works...
The digestive system breaks down and absorbs food to give the body the nutrients it needs to fuel the body.
The digestive system breaks down and absorbs food to give the body the nutrients it needs to fuel the body.
The digestive system goes from the mouth to the anus through the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus.
Muscle contractions squeeze the food through the different sections separated by sphincters that act as valves.
Muscle contractions squeeze the food through the different sections separated by sphincters that act as valves.
It goes to through the small intestine (small bowel) first where it absorbs nutrients and liquid. It then goes through the colon (large intestine or large bowel). The colon processes and gets rid of waste. It also absorbs nutrients and water. Gut flora is made up of good and bad bacteria which is an important part of the process.
Waste then travels to the rectum where it is stored until it is ready to be passed out. The rectum stretches sending a message to the brain to say it needs to be emptied. The nerves in the rectum tell us whether we need to poo or pass wind.
It can take from 12 to 48 hours for food to move through the digestive system
Well toned pelvic floor muscles ensure the anus remains closed until it is time to go to the toilet.
sizes
Length of the small intestine
6 metres to 8 metres
Colon length
2 metres
Width of the small intestine
2cm
Colon width
6-7cm
Have you ever had dark red stools after eating beetroot?
Stools are almost always brown in colour, but some foods, like beetroot, can affect the colour.
Have you ever had sweetcorn in your poo?
Some foods, like corn, cannot be broken down by our guts so it will come out undigested.
Bowel habits vary from one individual to another.
Bowel habits vary from one individual to another.
Anything from several times a day to several times a week seems to be a normal frequency. It should only take about a minute or so to empty your bowels. Stools should be soft, sausage-shaped and easy to pass.
Smelly poo is normal. The smell is caused by trillions of bacteria in your digestive system.
The Bristol Stool Chart (also known as the Myers Scale) is widely used to put human poo into categories.
key things people can do to maintain bowel health:
Eat and drink healthily
Include plenty of high fibre foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Drink 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) of water daily. Hydration is crucial to avoid constipation.
Maintain a healthy weight and take regular exercise
This will help food move through the digestive system and prevent constipation.
Take your time and relax
Don’t rush, strain or hold your breath.
Get into position
The best position is leaning forward, with a straight back, rest your arms on your thighs. Raise your feet slightly.
Have a good look
It is important to know what is normal so you can notice if something changes. Clearly if you are supporting an individual, you should encourage them to do this for themselves, if they can.
Don’t smoke
Obesity and smoking are linked with an increase in bowel cancer.
Do your pelvic floor exercises
These are for bowel health as well as bladder health because your pelvic floor runs from your pubic bone at the front to your tailbone at the back.
These images show the male and female pelvic floor muscles...
Male pelvic floor
Female pelvic floor
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