Welcome to Module 2
Bladder function
In this module you will be exploring how the bladders works, what normal bladder function is and what happens when there is damage to the structures involved.
In this video, Janice Reid, Clinical Lead, Western Trust Continence Advisory Services, Northern Ireland, welcomes you to week 2.
We will be starting with the anatomy and physiology of the lower urinary tract and urethral sphincters and then move on to look at the nerves involved in bladder control.
Following this we will look at the causes of loss of bladder control, urinary incontinence.
In week one we explored how bladder and bowel dysfunctions can impact on individuals and their families. If a person has a bladder or bowel dysfunction there is ‘always’ a cause for this, if the cause/causes are identified a significant number of individuals can be effectively treated.
As we will see there are many factors that can cause loss of bladder control, for some individuals there is one cause for others it is more complex and there can be a number of factors involved.
Why knowledge of normal bladder function is important
A knowledge of normal bladder function is important as ‘alterations to the normal physiology’ will be the ‘cause’ of the bladder problems for a significant number of individuals.
By the end of this module you should have an understanding of what is normal and when we need to seek help.