Most people are afraid of growing old because when people age, along with it comes a slew of medical conditions that will affect how they live. One medical condition that is associated with aging is urinary incontinence.
What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence or UI is a medical condition where a person loses control of their ability to keep their urine inside their bladder. Urinary incontinence can be described as an involuntary release of urine. UI is a common condition for the elderly population, with estimates that up to 30 percent of senior adults are affected. Likewise, UI is 2 to 3 times more prevalent in elderly women than in men aged 65 to 80.
People suffering from UI will also suffer from embarrassment, especially if the involuntary release of urine happens publicly. Fortunately, most cases of UI can be treated and reversed with proper medical treatment and lifestyle changes. Likewise, people who have UI conditions may use incontinence products to mask their conditions from the public eye.
What are the Different Types of Incontinence Products to Choose From?
If you suffer from UI, it is best to seek treatment as soon as possible. In the meantime, prevent yourself from being embarrassed by using the different incontinence products available in the market.
Disposable Adult Diapers
Adult diapers are similar to infant diapers, except that they are designed to be worn by adults. These diapers are designed to absorb both urine and feces, suitable for the elderly who are suffering from both urine and fecal incontinence. Likewise, adult diapers are ideal for the elderly who are living a sedentary lifestyle. If you choose to use adult diapers, it is best to replace them after 3 to 4 hours or feel that they are already at their saturation point. A diaper will reach its saturation point when it can no longer absorb liquid. An indication of this is when unabsorbed liquid begins to leak.
Fortunately, advancement in diaper technology has created more absorbent materials such as hydrogels or polymer gels that absorb more liquid. Likewise, diaper materials are now more skin-friendly and do not cause dermatitis. Moreover, modern adult diapers are less bulky and can be worn underneath everyday clothing. Disposable adult diapers are the more hygienic product to choose from because you can dispose of them after every use.
Adult Briefs
Adult briefs look like your normal underwear; however, it has pockets filled with incontinence pads designed to absorb a specific amount of urine. Adult briefs are ideal for senior citizens with stress and functional incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when the bladder experiences pressure, which makes it leak urine involuntarily. On the other hand, functional incontinence occurs when you have a physical impairment that hinders you from reaching a urinal or toilet on time. Adult briefs are less bulky since the incontinence pads inserted are designed only to absorb urine and not feces. With adult briefs, you need to dispose of the incontinence pads whenever they get saturated. In the meantime, you can machine wash the adult briefs repeatedly.
Do not let urine incontinence take control of how you socialize and live your life. When you use incontinence products, you will not get embarrassed when you have an incontinence episode in public.
