Adenomyosis

A condition where the tissue that normally lines the uterus (womb) starts growing into the muscular wall of the uterus. It can cause heavy periods, pelvic pain and bladder pressure, and sometimes contributes to urinary urgency or frequency.

Anal Atresia (Imperforate Anus)

A condition some babies are born with where the opening of the bottom (anus) hasn't formed properly, or is missing altogether. Surgery is usually needed to create or repair the opening so the bowel can work as it should.

Anorectal Malformation (ARM)

A group of birth differences affecting the bottom end of the bowel and sometimes the urinary tract. The rectum (the last part of the bowel) may not connect to the anus in the typical way. There are different types, and most need surgery. Many people with an ARM continue to manage bowel and sometimes bladder function throughout their lives.

Appendicostomy / Malone / MACE

A surgical procedure (also called the Malone Antegrade Continence Enema, or MACE) where the appendix is used to create a small channel from the skin of the tummy into the bowel. This allows a flush of fluid to be put directly into the bowel to help clear it out on a regular schedule, giving people more control over when they go.

Biologics

A type of medication made from living cells, often used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. They work by targeting specific parts of the immune system that drive inflammation, rather than suppressing the whole thing.

Bowel Intussusception

When one part of the bowel slides inside the section next to it, a bit like a telescope folding in on itself. It can cause pain, blockages and sometimes bloody stools. It's most common in young children but can happen at any age.

Brachytherapy

A type of radiation treatment where a small radioactive source is placed inside or very close to the area being treated. It's sometimes used for cancers of the prostate, cervix or bowel. Because of where these cancers sit, brachytherapy can sometimes affect bladder or bowel function.

Catheter

A thin, flexible tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine, or into the bowel in transanal irrigation. There are different types depending on what someone needs (see also: Indwelling Catheter, Intermittent Self-Catheterisation, Suprapubic Catheter).

Chassis

In ostomy product terms, the chassis is the base of the bag system. It's the wafer or flange that sticks to the skin around the stoma. Getting the right chassis fit matters a lot for comfort and leak prevention.

Climacturia

Urine leakage that happens during orgasm or sexual arousal. It's most commonly experienced by men after prostate surgery (radical prostatectomy). It doesn't get talked about much, but it's more common than people think and there are ways to manage it.

Colonoscopy

A procedure where a doctor uses a long, thin camera (a scope) to look inside the entire large bowel. It's used to investigate symptoms, screen for bowel cancer, and check on conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. You'll need to do a bowel prep beforehand to clear things out.

Colostomy

A surgical opening (stoma) made in the abdomen where part of the colon (large bowel) is brought to the surface of the skin. Waste leaves the body through this opening into a pouch, instead of passing through the rectum and anus. A colostomy can be temporary or permanent.

Congenital

A word that simply means 'present from birth.' A congenital condition is something a person is born with, whether or not it's diagnosed straight away.

Constipation

When bowel movements are infrequent, hard to pass, or feel incomplete. It's extremely common and can be caused by diet, medications, nerve conditions, or pelvic floor issues, among other things. Chronic constipation can also contribute to bladder problems and overflow incontinence.

Continence

The ability to control when and where you wee or poo. Incontinence is the loss of that control, whether it's a small leak or something more significant. It comes in many forms and affects people of all ages.

Crohn’s Disease

A type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. It causes inflammation that can lead to pain, diarrhoea, bleeding, fatigue, and sometimes fistulas or the need for surgery, including stoma formation.

Cystocele

When the bladder drops down from its usual position and pushes into the front wall of the vagina. Also called a prolapsed bladder or anterior prolapse. It can cause a feeling of heaviness, difficulty emptying the bladder, and urinary leakage.

Encopresis

Repeated soiling or passing poo in inappropriate places (like underwear) in children over the age of four, often linked to chronic constipation. It's usually involuntary and not the child's fault. It's more common than people realise and very treatable.

Endometriosis

A condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, often on the bowel, bladder or pelvic organs. It can cause pain, heavy periods, and bladder or bowel symptoms including urgency, frequency and pain when going to the toilet.

Enteral Nutrition

A way of getting nutrition directly into the stomach or small bowel through a tube, when someone can't eat enough by mouth. Also called tube feeding. It's used across all ages and for many different reasons.

Faecal Incontinence

The involuntary loss of poo, whether it’s a small smear or a full bowel movement. It can be caused by nerve damage, muscle weakness, surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, childbirth injury, or other conditions. It’s far more common than most people realise.

Fistula

An abnormal tunnel or connection that forms between two body parts that aren’t usually connected, like between the bowel and the urethra, or between the bowel and the skin. Fistulas can develop from Crohn’s disease, surgery, childbirth injury or infection. Treatment can include a seton drain – a piece of surgical thread placed through the fistula to allow it to drain and heal gradually.

Gastroscopy

A procedure where a thin camera is passed through the mouth and down into the stomach and upper small bowel. It’s used to investigate symptoms like pain, reflux, swallowing difficulties or bleeding.

Giggle Incontinence

Involuntary, complete bladder emptying triggered by laughing. It usually starts in childhood (from around age five) and mostly affects girls, though boys can experience it too. Some people grow out of it. For others, it continues into adulthood.

Gleason Score

A grading system used to describe how aggressive prostate cancer cells look under a microscope. The score ranges from 6 to 10, with higher numbers indicating faster-growing cancer. It helps doctors and patients make decisions about treatment, which can sometimes affect continence.

Hirschsprung’s Disease (HD)

A condition present from birth where nerve cells (ganglion cells) are missing from part of the bowel, usually the end section. Without these nerve cells, the bowel can't push waste through properly, leading to severe constipation or blockages. Surgery is needed, and ongoing bowel management is common.

Hydrophilic Catheters

Catheters that come pre-coated with a slippery surface that activates with water. They’re designed to reduce friction and make catheterisation more comfortable. Many people who self-catheterise prefer them for everyday use.

Hypergranulation

Overgrowth of moist, red tissue that can develop around a stoma, feeding tube or wound site. It looks like a small, raised, bumpy area and can bleed easily. It's treatable and your stoma or continence nurse can help.

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

A connective tissue condition that causes unusually flexible joints, stretchy skin, and a range of symptoms across the body. Many people with hEDS experience bladder and bowel issues including urgency, frequency, incomplete emptying and prolapse, because the connective tissue supporting these organs is affected too.

Ileostomy

A surgical opening (stoma) made in the abdomen where part of the ileum (the end of the small bowel) is brought to the skin surface. Waste empties into a pouch. The output is usually more liquid than a colostomy, because it bypasses the large bowel where water is normally absorbed.

Indwelling Catheter (IDC)

A catheter that stays in the bladder continuously, held in place by a small balloon. It drains urine into a bag. Some are inserted through the urethra, others go through the abdomen (see Suprapubic Catheter). They can be used short-term or long-term.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

An umbrella term for conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, mainly Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD can cause pain, diarrhoea, bleeding, fatigue and sometimes the need for surgery or a stoma.

Intermittent Self-Catheterisation (ISC)

A technique where a person inserts a catheter into their own bladder several times a day to drain urine, then removes it. It gives people independence and control over their bladder management, and is used by people of all ages, including children.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

A common, long-term condition affecting the gut that causes symptoms like cramping, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. It’s different from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because it doesn't cause visible damage to the bowel, but it can still significantly impact daily life.

Laparoscopic Surgery

Surgery done through several small cuts in the abdomen, using a camera and specialised instruments, rather than one large incision. Often called keyhole surgery. Recovery is usually faster, with less pain and scarring.

Megarectum / Megacolon

When the rectum or colon becomes abnormally stretched and enlarged, often from long-term constipation. The bowel loses its ability to sense fullness and push waste out effectively, which can cause soiling, overflow incontinence and significant discomfort.

Nasojejunal Feeding Tube

A thin tube passed through the nose, down through the stomach and into the jejunum (the second part of the small intestine). It’s used for people who need nutrition delivered past the stomach, often because of vomiting, reflux or delayed stomach emptying.

Neurogenic Bowel / Neurogenic Bladder

When the nerves that control the bowel or bladder are damaged or don't work properly, affecting the ability to store or empty wee or poo. Common causes include spinal cord injury, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis and stroke. Management usually involves a combination of techniques, medications and sometimes surgery.

Nocturia

Needing to wake up one or more times during the night to wee. It’s common and becomes more frequent with age, but it can also be a sign of other conditions. It affects sleep quality and can have a real impact on daily life.

Overactive Bladder (OAB)

A condition where the bladder squeezes (contracts) without warning, causing a sudden, strong urge to wee that can be hard to hold. It may or may not involve leaking. It’s not about how much you drink, it’s about how the bladder muscle behaves.

Pelvic Floor

The group of muscles that sit like a hammock across the base of the pelvis. They support the bladder, bowel and uterus (in women), and play a key role in controlling when you wee, poo and pass wind. Pelvic floor muscles can be too weak or too tight, and both can cause problems.

Pelvic Prolapse

When one or more of the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, bowel) drops down from its normal position and pushes against the walls of the vagina. It can feel like a heaviness, dragging sensation or a lump. It's common after childbirth and with ageing, and there are many ways to manage it.

Perianal

Relating to the area around the anus. Perianal conditions can include skin irritation, fistulas, abscesses and fissures. In Crohn’s disease, perianal complications are common and can significantly affect quality of life.

Pessary

A removable device, usually made of silicone, that is inserted into the vagina to support the pelvic organs. Pessaries are used to manage prolapse and can also help with stress urinary incontinence. They come in many shapes and sizes.

Post-Void Residual (PVR)

The amount of urine left in the bladder after you’ve finished weeing. A high PVR can mean the bladder isn't emptying properly, which can lead to infections, leakage and other issues. It’s usually measured with a quick ultrasound scan.

Prostatectomy

Surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland, usually to treat prostate cancer. Because the prostate sits so close to the bladder and the muscles that control urine flow, continence changes after surgery are common, though many people recover well over time.

PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)

A protein produced by the prostate gland. A PSA blood test measures the level of this protein and is used as a screening tool for prostate cancer, though raised levels can also be caused by other things. It’s often part of the conversation that leads to diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Rectocele

When the rectum (the last part of the bowel) bulges forward into the back wall of the vagina. It can make it hard to fully empty the bowel and may cause a feeling of pressure or incomplete evacuation. It’s a type of pelvic organ prolapse.

Sigmoidoscopy

A procedure where a doctor uses a short camera scope to look at the lower part of the large bowel (the sigmoid colon and rectum). It’s less extensive than a colonoscopy and is often used to investigate bleeding, inflammation or changes in bowel habits.

Stoma

A surgically created opening on the abdomen where part of the bowel or urinary tract is brought to the skin surface. Waste is collected in a pouch worn over the stoma. There are different types depending on which part of the body is involved (see Colostomy, Ileostomy, Urostomy).

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)

Leaking urine when there’s physical pressure on the bladder, like when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise or lift something heavy. It happens when the pelvic floor or urethral sphincter isn’t strong enough to hold the urine in during those moments.

Suprapubic Catheter (SPC)

A catheter that goes into the bladder through a small hole in the lower abdomen, below the belly button, rather than through the urethra. Some people find it more comfortable and easier to manage than a urethral catheter, especially for long-term use.

Transanal Irrigation (TAI)

A method of managing bowel function by introducing water into the bowel through the anus using a specialised system. It helps empty the bowel at a planned time, giving people more control and reducing episodes of constipation or soiling.

Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

A type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) where the lining of the large bowel (colon) and rectum becomes inflamed and develops tiny ulcers. Symptoms include bloody diarrhoea, urgency, pain and fatigue. Treatment ranges from medication to surgery, which may include stoma formation.

Urge Incontinence

Leaking urine that comes with a sudden, strong need to go. You might feel like you can’t get to the toilet in time. It’s related to overactive bladder and can be caused by nerve conditions, infections, or sometimes there’s no obvious cause at all.

Urodynamics

A group of tests that measure how well the bladder, sphincters and urethra are storing and releasing urine. It can involve filling the bladder with fluid while measuring pressure. It helps doctors understand what’s causing bladder symptoms.

Urostomy

A surgical opening (stoma) created to divert urine away from the bladder, usually because the bladder has been removed or can no longer function. A small piece of bowel is used to create a channel, and urine drains into a pouch on the abdomen.

VACTERL / VATER Association

A group of birth differences that tend to occur together. The letters stand for Vertebral, Anal, Cardiac, Tracheal, Esophageal (or Oesophageal), Renal and Limb. For diagnosis, three elements must be present. Not everyone has all of these, but the anal and renal components mean that many people with VACTERL live with long-term bowel and bladder management needs. New research has added '-G' for gynaecological malformations that can co-occur.

Vesicostomy

A surgical opening made in the bladder that allows urine to drain directly through a small hole in the lower abdomen, without a tube. It’s most often done in babies and young children whose bladders can't empty safely on their own, as a way to protect the kidneys while they grow.

Sources: Continence Health Australia; Mayo Clinic