Happy Bladder

Happy Bladder dries up wee issue for incontinence sufferers

Incontinence is proving not so wee, with more than five million Australians living with bladder and bowel control problems, and up to 37 per cent of all women experiencing incontinence. In addition, 50 per cent of women aged 45-59 experience mild, moderate or severe leakage over a three-month period according to the Continence Foundation of Australia.

A new product developed in Australia, tested by University of Queensland and Endeavour College of Natural Health, and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), is set to drastically improve the quality of life for people who live with incontinence and an overactive bladder, with Happy Bladder supporting the tone and control of the bladder muscles to reduce leakage.

Naturopath, author and co-founder of Happy Healthy You - the organisation launching Happy Bladder in Australia - Jeff Butterworth, said the new product supports improvement in bladder function, ultimately resulting in an improved quality of life for people who experience incontinence.

"Happy Bladder is a formulation of three herbal medicines, all of which have been long recognised to improve bladder function, tone and control," said Jeff.

"Crateva nurvala is an Ayurvedic herb with a long history of use for bladder problems and improving bladder tone and control; Horsetail is a natural source of silica which helps improve collagen and connective tissue including in the bladder area; and Lindera is a Chinese herb that is used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve bladder control."

The University of Queensland and Endeavour College of Natural Health conducted a Phase 2 Randomised Clinical Trial with 150 subjects who had at least two symptoms of overactive bladder, including urinary day frequency, nocturia, urinary urgency, and urge urinary incontinence or stress urinary incontinence.

The trial concluded that the patented blend of herbal medicines demonstrated improvement in bladder control within a few weeks.

"After eight weeks of use, almost one in four (23%) users reporting they were no longer having bladder accidents, and 84 per cent of participants said their quality of life had improved dramatically since commencing the trial. Nocturnal bathroom urgers reduced by 50 per cent and there was a noticeable reduction in incontinent pad usage among participants and fewer accidents and reduced visits to the toilet," said Jeff.

Olympian and co-founder of Happy Healthy You, Lisa Curry AO said there are many factors that can result in incontinence, including a weakened pelvic floor resulting from pregnancy and childbirth, chronic conditions including asthma, arthritis and diabetes, and hormonal shifts during menopause.

"For both men and women, as we get older, overactive bladder and urinary incontinence can become a reality in our lives. Menopause and the associated hormonal fluctuations can result in reduction of bladder control, however, other things like childbirth and a host of chronic health conditions can lead to a weakening of the bladder, and decreased bladder control," said Lisa.

According to The Continence Foundation of Australia people who have an overactive bladder or have issues with controlling an excessive need to wee seem to think it a taboo topic, with less than half of all sufferers telling doctors or even their partners about it.

"We need to stop sweeping it under the carpet and actually talk about this problem that so many people are quietly struggling with.

"Our goal at Happy Healthy You is to develop natural solutions for women and men with conditions which are impacting on their quality of life. I believe this new product will change women's lives for the better and allow them to feel more confident and be more active," said Lisa.

The Happy Healthy You team are encouraging anyone with overactive bladder or incontinence to speak with a medical professional. Women living with bladder issues are also invited to join the Happy Healthy You Facebook groups, which are built on a foundation of support, honesty and integrity.

Happy Bladder will be available to the public in November. Visit https://happyhealthyyou.com.au/