Globally, over fifty million people are known to suffer from urine incontinence or faecal incontinence; in Switzerland alone, an estimated 400'000. The condition is manifested as inadequate control of bladder and bowel functions; it affects both sexes and all age groups.

The complaint is particularly common among older people; of those over 65, approximately 12% of women and 7% of men suffer from urge- and stress incontinence. Both childbirth and prostata resection can also trigger various degrees of incontinence.

In short, incontinence can have many different causes and can arise at any age, although its incidence increases with age. Because of their anatomy, women are more liable to bladder weakness than men, particularly during and after the menopause.

Persons subject to the involuntary release of urine perceive the condition as a great social drawback and attempt to conceal it, in extreme cases by withdrawing completely from human contact. There is no longer any reason for this, because there have long been antidotes to incontinence and today many different types of help are available.

The first step to a new, more active life is to talk with the family doctor, because the reason for the condition needs to be identified before treatment commences.