Freedom From The Worries Of Incontinence

Women experience more incontinence than men, but they can have be more comfortable with the right incontinence products.

Incontinence can embarrass and irritate anybody, but when it’s a senior citizen who suffers from it, they can get really frightened of doing many activities. With the loss of bowel and bladder control, seniors can get really flustered when out in public places and when they feel the urge to visit the restroom. Sudden leaks and spills from the clothes are extremely mortifying and can leave emotional scars.

It turns out that more women than men suffer from urinary continence. They are more affected because they undergo childbirth, and later menopause – this weakens their pelvic and bladder muscles to a large extent. In some women, the problem may be a genetic one. However, not every older woman suffers from it. Unfortunately, urinary incontinence is taken as a sign of advancing years – this is a wrong notion. Not only is it treatable, it is also controllable. If you know a woman who suffers from incontinence or a loved one who does, simply buy them a packet of incontinence products.

These are products designed to quickly absorb excess urine leaks. Women suffering from urinary incontinence can suffer accidental urine leaks when they cough or sneeze, while in the severe form of the disorder, there may be a leakage of urine even when standing still. This condition can prevent many women from leading normal lives, or travelling long distances or even drinking sufficient amounts of water. But using the right incontinence products (depending on the severity of their condition) can help many women lead normal lives.

Understanding incontinence

Before picking out an incontinence product, it is important to understand the type of incontinence the woman suffers from. Normally, women suffer from three types of incontinence:

1. Stress incontinence: This is caused when the bladder muscles are moderately weakened, leading to a leakage of urine when the woman sneezes or coughs or even laughs.

2. Interrupted flow incontinence: Some women are unable to empty their bladders completely when they urinate. As a result, the excess urine dribbles out at intervals on its own.

3. Rapid incontinence: In this type, the woman feels the urge to use the restroom but can exercise no control over her weakened bladder muscles. As a result, the urine often starts trickling out or gushing out before a toilet can be reached.

What kind of products should you use?

There are sanitary pad-like absorbent pads for those with mild symptoms of incontinence, or highly absorbent diapers for those suffering heavy symptoms. There are also absorbent pants (shaped like boy briefs) for overnight use, especially when travelling. You can even pick panty-like products that do not show through the clothes in a thick layer.

The product you choose should be highly absorbent and one that keeps the urine away from the skin at once. Many incontinence products fail on this front, resulting in infections and rashes. Also, the product should fit snugly – neither too tight nor too loose. It should not allow the leaked urine to pass outside the periphery of the product and onto the clothes.

It is preferable to pick scented incontinence products to block or mask any lingering odours, but it is important to check that these scents do not irritate the skin or cause allergies. Most importantly, your loved one must be taught to use the right product based on the need for it.