Living with Incontinence

A Medical Condition that can be Treated. More than 19 million North American adults have some form of incontinence. It is not necessarily part of growing older, nor is it something that should be accepted after childbirth. Incontinence is always a symptom of some other health problem. Many bladder control problems can be cured and all can be managed.

In many cases, a team of health care professionals including your doctor, nurse and nurse practitioner will work with you to diagnose and offer treatment options. Together, you will choose the appropriate course of action. Remember, the first step is to see your health professional. He or she is best able to offer you specific advice related to your situation.

Help is Available. Incontinence may be a symptom of an underlying disorder that warrants medical attention, or simply a side effect of certain medications.

Health care professionals are well qualified to assess incontinence and offer numerous treatment options including muscle strengthening exercises, dietary modification, medication or surgery.

Today, clinics and treatment centers throughout the nation are helping people to manage and treat incontinence. Increased awareness has helped promote a greater understanding of incontinence in today's society. People with incontinence lead full, active lives doing the same things they have enjoyed for years.

Watch Your Diet. Drink enough fluids -- at least 50 ounces (about 6 1/2 cups) per day. Limiting daily fluid intake can actually worsen incontinence or lead to serious illness. Avoid beverages that can cause excessive urine production such as caffeine and alcohol, as well as beverages that can irritate the bladder-such as grapefruit juice and tomato-based products. Constipation can also contribute to bladder control problems. Eat foods that are high in fiber to help you stay regular.

Watch Your Weight. Even a few pounds can make a difference. A five to ten percent weight loss can help improve bladder control by reducing intra-abdominal pressure.

Keep Active. As with many medical conditions, doctors are recognizing the importance of a positive attitude in managing incontinence. Remain active and stay involved with family and friends so you'll feel good about yourself.

Understand Available Treatments. Your doctor might recommend that you learn to practice Kegel (or pelvic muscle) exercises, which were originally developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel to help women strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor during pregnancy and after childbirth. In some instances, these exercises have also been effective in reducing incontinence even in men. Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

* Biofeedback. In addition to Kegel exercises, your doctor or nurse may recommend biofeedback to help you identify and control the muscles located around the bladder opening. In a clinic or similar setting, small sensors are temporarily placed in contact with your body. As you practice contracting muscles around the bladder opening, the sensors give you a signal, usually an audible tone or movement on a visual display or graph, indicating when you have correctly contracted the right muscles. In this manner, biofeedback can help maximize the benefits gained from practicing Kegel exercises.

* Bladder Retraining. Bladder retraining is effective in helping people successfully increase the amount of time between trips to the toilet. For example, by reducing anxiety through a formal toilet schedule tailored to your specific needs, bladder retraining can actually restore continence in certain instances. If your doctor suggests bladder retraining, a voiding diary, as well as a schedule of activities that normally make up your day, will be important in developing a successful program for you.

* Medication. In some cases, your health professional may prescribe medication either alone, or in combination with behavioral treatment to help restore continence. Be aware that some medications may actually contribute to your incontinence. For this reason, be sure your doctor knows about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs you're taking. All medications should be taken under the care of a physician.

* Surgery. Your doctor may suggest surgery as a means of treating a physical condition contributing to your incontinence. He or she will counsel you on the best treatment, including the related advantages and risks. Choose Absorbent Products Carefully Your health care professional or pharmacist can assist you in selecting from the variety of absorbent products available while you undergo treatment or when treatment is not completely successful. Make your product selection based on the level of absorbency you need.

About Male Incontinence

Of the estimated 19 million North American adults who have urinary incontinence, 20 percent are men. The severity of urinary incontinence in men ranges from partial to complete loss of bladder control. They may experience varying degrees of urine loss, and the incontinence may change over time. For example, men with light incontinence may leak a little when they laugh or cough, while men with heavy incontinence may be experiencing continuous leakage. No two men are alike, and no two men are affected by incontinence the same way.

Incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging, and it is not a disease. In fact, it's a symptom or side-effect of another medical condition. Male urinary incontinence may be caused by any number of health conditions.

Prostate Surgery. Prostate problems and the treatments required to correct them are the most frequent causes of urinary incontinence in men. The two most common problems are Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, often treated with surgery. Because early diagnosis is key to successful treatment, doctors recommend yearly prostate exams for men over the age of 50. Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men should begin these checkups at age 40.

Most men have temporary incontinence following surgery for prostate cancer. The degree to which incontinence occurs, and the severity of it, varies with each man. While incontinence can be distressing, there are many treatments and management options available. Using absorbent products will help you maintain a normal lifestyle while you are working to regain bladder control.

The good news is that it generally lessens within six months to one year. In many cases, continence is fully restored.

Other Causes. Male urinary incontinence can also be caused by other medical conditions, including neurologic disease or injury (Parkinson's disease, stroke or spinal cord injury); obstructed urination; some types of surgery; and certain birth defects or chronic medical conditions such as diabetes.

The good news is that, in many cases, incontinence can be cured and it can always be managed.

Help Your Doctor Assess Your Situation. There are steps you can take to control incontinence and minimize its effect on your lifestyle. Your first step should be into your doctor's office to find out what form of incontinence you have.

You might also be asked for your personal and family medical history, a list of any prescription and over-the-counter medications you're taking, or a history of accidents and injuries. Your doctor may also recommend testing to make an accurate assessment of your condition.

After reviewing this information and completing other diagnostic tests, your doctor will recommend treatment. There are many treatments available to men who experience urine leakage: Kegel exercises, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, medications, surgery and collagen treatments.

Discuss these treatments with your physician to determine the best option for you.

about female incontinence

Of the estimated 19 million North American adults who have urinary incontinence, 80 percent are women. It's important to understand that incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging, nor is it necessary to accept long-term incontinence after bearing a child. In many cases, it can be cured, and it can always be managed.

Understanding the Urinary Tract. Your urinary tract is a system for collecting, storing and expelling liquid waste, or urine, from your body. The bladder stores the urine. When the bladder is full, a continent person feels the urge to expel the stored urine through the urethra. Special muscles called sphincter muscles hold the urethral tube closed so that the person can control the release of urine. Another muscle group, the pubococcygeus (PCG), also helps in maintaining continence. It encircles the urethra, vagina and rectum. Many women with incontinence have weakened or damaged muscles, and may not be able to sense when their bladders are full, which leads to difficulty in controlling urination.

Urine is about 95 percent water and five percent waste. Some people incorrectly believe that by drinking less fluid, they will reduce their incontinence. In fact, urine that is more concentrated due to lack of fluid intake can irritate the bladder and cause more serious problems such as infection and dehydration. In addition, inadequate fluid intake can cause constipation which may also make incontinence worse.

Understanding Contributing Factors. There are many factors that can contribute to incontinence. Some common causes:

* Short Term: Urinary tract and bladder infections, constipation and medication side-effects are some of the most readily treated causes of short-term incontinence. Following a visit to your physician, relief is usually quick.

* Long Term: Childbirth, auto accidents or surgical procedures can sometimes cause long-term incontinence. Recovery from these causes may affect the rate at which continence is restored.

* Chronic: Birth defects, progressive illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease and other chronic conditions may require ongoing management of the related symptom of incontinence.

Understanding the Forms of Incontinence. Incontinence affects different individuals in different ways. Common forms of urinary incontinence include:

* Stress: People with stress incontinence may experience leakage when coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, lifting and performing other kinds of strenuous activity. Childbirth and some surgeries can weaken the pelvic floor (the muscles under the bladder) allowing urine to escape when the abdomen is under stress. Young women often experience this form of incontinence.

* Urge: People with urge incontinence lose larger amounts of urine. They feel as if they can't reach the bathroom fast enough. Many women experience urge incontinence caused by infections that irritate the bladder or urethra, or cause muscle spasms which force the urine out of the bladder. Constipation can also cause urge incontinence. Still others experience urge incontinence through the loss of muscle control caused by strokes, spinal cord injury, dementia and diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

* Mixed: Many women experience both stress and urge incontinence at different times or under different circumstances. The causes of the two forms may or may not be related, and should be evaluated separately.

Less common forms of incontinence include:

* Overflow: Some women either do not get the urge to urinate or have a blockage in the urethra (the tube that passes from the bladder out of the body). In both of these instances, the bladder never completely empties, and when it overfills, excess urine is forced out. Nervous system disorders and spinal cord injuries are frequent causes of overflow incontinence.

* Functional: People who are unable or unwilling to use a toilet are functionally incontinent. Examples include severe arthritis or confusion brought on by other illnesses that prevents a person from using a toilet without assistance.

* Total: Total incontinence is rare. A birth defect or injury may cause urine to leak from the body uncontrollably. Some people with dementia may lose bladder control only during the night. Dementia is the result of any number of illnesses that cause mental deterioration, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

* Medication-Related: Some medications may cause incontinence by relaxing muscles or by blocking signals sent from a full bladder to the brain. In these instances, your doctor may change your medications to eliminate the side-effects.

Help Your Doctor Assess Your Situation. There are steps you can take to control incontinence and minimize its effect on your lifestyle. Your first step should be into your doctor's office to fiind out what form of incontinence you have.

You might also be asked for your personal and family medical history, a list of any prescription and over-the-counter medications you're taking, or a history of accidents and injuries. Your doctor may also recommend testing to make an accurate assessment of your condition.

The freedom and self-confidence to enjoy and active social life are sometimes denied to those who experience the worry and embarrassment of involuntary urine loss.  If you suffer from urinary incontinence, you are not alone.  Millions of people in the Unites States experience some form of urinary leakage.  There are several methods of managing and treating incontinence.  Any of these methods of managing incontinence can provide you with comfort, security and freedom to live life again with peace of mind.

Care Medical can help make life a little easier by offering you a large variety of options. Whether you need reusable latex leg bags, external or intermittent catheters, tubing clamps and connectors or lubricants we've have what you need.

• Allegiance Healthcare
• Bard
• Coloplast
• Mentor
• Urocare
• Rochester
• Rusch
• Kendall
• Hollister

We have been providing a wide range of quality incontinence management products for years.  

External Catheters
Intermittent Catheters
Hydrophilic intermittent catheters
Intermittent catheter trays
Irrigation Tray
Bedside drainage bags
Leg bags
Lubricating Jelly
Tubing and connectors
Adhesive and adhesive removers
Leg Straps
Quick Drain Valve
Cleaners and deodorants
Tape