September is Urology Awareness Month.

Organised by The Urology Foundation, this month aims to raise awareness of urological disease as well as raise money so we can fund vital research and training into these diseases.

It is estimated that one in two of us will be affected by a urology condition in our lifetime. Our urology health is vital to our quality of life. But diseases and cancers of the kidneys, bladder, prostate and the male reproductive system are becoming more prevalent and devastating the lives of millions of men, women and children in the UK.

Urology Specialist Nurse Sister Helen Lanka at NCIC explains what is a good amount of fluid to drink each day and what types of fluid should we be drinking.

She said: “It is really important to drink plenty of fluids each day. Our bodies need fluids, such as water, in order to stay hydrated. Drinking around six to eight glasses of water, as advocated by the NHS, will help keep our bodies in check.

“Some people can struggle with drinking such an amount of plain water, however, by drinking a variety of differing fluids such as tea, coffee, juice, cordial and flavoured water drinks plus eating lots of fruit and vegetables this monotony can be alleviated.

“It is worth mentioning that caffeine can irritate the bladder and make you go to the toilet more frequently, therefore, if you are making a lot of trips to the loo, it might be worth switching to decaffeinated drinks.

“Little changes like this, can make big improvements to your toileting habits. Remember in hot weather we need to drink more to stay well hydrated.”

Helen says a lot of patients suffering from urological problems often ask how often they should go to the toilet.

She said: “Going to the toilet is a natural part of being human and something, for the most parts of our lives, we probably don’t take much notice of.

“Only when things become an issue, do we sit up and take notice. Most people go to the toilet between six to eight times a day, maybe a bit more if they have drunk a lot of fluid. “Everyone is different and so it is important to look at what fluid is going into the body, as well as how much is coming out."