New polling reveals while many would seek help for blood in their urine or pain when peeing, far fewer would act on common urinary changes that can be early signs of a wider health issue.
New polling of 2,000 UK adults, carried out by OnePoll for The Urology Foundation, finds:
- Fewer than one in five would seek help for a delay in starting to urinate (19%), a change in urine flow (16%), dripping after peeing (13%) or waking in the night to pee (10%).
- Just one in three people (34%) say they would speak to a healthcare professional if they noticed a change in their urine.
- Encouragingly, nearly three quarters of Brits surveyed (74%) would speak to a healthcare professional if they noticed blood in their urine while more than two thirds (69%) would seek help for pain when urinating.
- September marks Urology Awareness Month, and this year, The Urology Foundation is urging people to become more aware of urinary changes and not dismiss persistent symptoms as simply part of getting older or everyday life.
Brits are quick to recognise the most obvious urinary warning signs. New polling commissioned by The Urology Foundation found that almost three quarters of adults would seek medical advice if they noticed blood in their urine, while more than two thirds would do so for pain when urinating.
However, the research suggests many people are far less likely to take action when it comes to more subtle but common urinary changes, such as a persistent change in odour or colour, despite the fact these symptoms can sometimes indicate an underlying urological or general health condition and are often treatable with the right support.
Many people are also unfamiliar with urology – the branch of medicine that deals with the urinary system, including the kidneys, bladder, the tubes that connect them (ureters and urethra), as well as the male reproductive organs (prostate, testicles and penis). One in two people will experience a urology condition in their lifetime and The Urology Foundation is the UK’s only charity dedicated to the full breadth of urological care. The charity is encouraging people to take a more active role in looking after their urological health by paying attention to changes in their symptoms and seeking help before problems become more serious.
Just 19% would seek help for a delay in starting to urinate, while only 16% would seek advice for a slower or quicker urine flow than normal. Only 13% would speak to a healthcare professional about dripping after peeing, and just 10% would do so if they were regularly waking during the night to urinate.
Putting up with symptoms
The survey suggests many people may be normalising symptoms that affect quality of life and could benefit from assessment and treatment. For many people, urinary symptoms like waking at night to pee more, feeling a sudden urge to pee or leaking urine can be accepted as a part of life or a ‘normal’ part of ageing. This means help is delayed and possible underlying issues aren’t always investigated.
A regular urgent need to pee would prompt only 38% of people to seek help, while leaking urine would prompt 31% to do so. Fewer than one in three would seek help for urinating more than normal (29%).
When asked what they would do if they noticed a change in their urine, only one in three respondents (34%) said they would speak to a healthcare professional. One in five would search online for information, while almost one in five would simply wait and see what happened.
Among Gen X (ages 46–61 years) – a generation increasingly entering the age range where many urological conditions become more common – less than one in four (around 23%) said they would speak to a healthcare professional if they noticed a change in their urine.
Small changes can matter
Helen Lake, Urology Nurse Specialist at The Urology Foundation, says:
"It's encouraging that many people surveyed recognise blood in the urine and pain when peeing as signs that they should seek medical advice. However, we're concerned that many people appear far less likely to take action when they notice other urinary changes.
"Symptoms such as needing to rush to the toilet more often, changes in urine flow, difficulty starting to urinate, waking frequently at night to pee or leaking urine are often dismissed as ageing, stress or simply something people have to live with. But that's not the case.
"It’s really worrying that only one in three people would seek medical support if they noticed a change in their urine. Urinary changes can sometimes be a sign that something needs further investigation. They can also have a significant impact on quality of life, sleep, confidence and wellbeing. The good news is that many urological conditions can be treated or managed effectively once people seek help.
"During Urology Awareness Month, we’re calling on people to take action. People need to become more familiar with what is normal for them and shouldn’t ignore persistent changes. If something doesn't feel right, speak to a healthcare professional and get it checked."
Lucy Mein, a patient in Edinburgh who noticed a health issue through urine changes, says:
“I’m particularly passionate about raising awareness of these symptoms because, looking back, not recognising that what I was experiencing were symptoms was one of the reasons my health deteriorated as much as it did.
“I experienced pain when urinating, often feeling like I had to strain to empty my bladder, as well as reduced awareness of when my bladder was full, which could lead to sudden urgency. I was also going to the toilet frequently but only passing small amounts, and I experienced what I now understand were bladder spasms. At the time, I didn’t realise that was what was happening – it felt like severe abdominal pain pushing down towards my pubic bone.
Lucy Mein raising awareness.
“I also began experiencing urinary tract infections more frequently. I hope that by sharing my experience, other people will recognise these symptoms for what they are and feel able to seek help sooner.”
The urinary symptoms Brits are most likely to ignore:
-
Waking up in the night to pee
- Only 10% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
Dripping after peeing
- Only 13% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
A slower or quicker urine flow than normal
- Only 16% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
A delay in starting to urinate
- Only 19% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
Urinating less than normal
- Only 19% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
Urinating more than normal
- Only 29% would seek help from a healthcare professional
-
Leaking urine
- Only 31% would seek help from a healthcare professional
For more information about urology health, visit https://www.theurologyfoundation.org/
