Incontinence products from Keys DryForLife range - Call for discreet advice on incontinence management

Archive for November, 2009

Reflex Urinary Incontinence

Monday, November 30th, 2009

When there is damage to the nerves that allow a person to control when they urinate the bladder fills, but the person has no sensation that they need to empty their bladder. When the bladder becomes overfull, it will eventually empty on its own, which is called reflex urinary incontinence. This type of incontinence is most commonly found in people who have a spinal cord injury, suffered a stroke, have Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis or have a brain tumor.

People suffering from reflex incontinence are unable to control the release of urine from the bladder, and it can occur when the bladder contracts involuntarily causing urine to leak. This type of incontinence can be diagnosed by a gynecologist, urologist, or family doctor.

There are several different types of tests that your doctor may request to determine the cause of your incontinence problem including a physical exam, urinalysis, x-rays or cystoscopy. Your doctor may ask you to keep a journal of your urination schedule and to note when urinary leakage occurs.

Your doctor may choose to do an IVP, which is a specialized procedure that injects contrast dye before x-raying internal organs. The test is looking for blockages or obstructive growths that may cause the reflex incontinence.

A cystoscopy involves your urologist inserting a thin tube into your urethra to check for abnormalities that may be causing the reflex incontinence. They may also choose to take a biopsy of any suspect tissue that they encounter.

If the reason for your reflex urinary incontinence is unknown, you will want to have a medical professional diagnose you as soon as possible. Aside from being inconvenient and annoying, it may be warning you of some more sinister problem lurking in the shadows. By having your doctor properly diagnose your problem, you will be able to start a course of treatment to manage and maybe even cure your problem.

As your doctor is working on properly diagnosing the cause of your reflex urinary incontinence, the right incontinence products can free you from the worry of having accidental leakage in public. Incontinence pads come in many different sizes and absorbencies to deal with any problem from mild to severe. DryForLife supplies a variety of incontinence products, which may be ordered online and discreetly delivered to you.
Further Incontinence Articles

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Incontinence | No Comments »

Biofeedback Helps Reduce Urinary Leakage after Prostate Surgery

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

One of the common side effects of prostate surgery in men is urinary leakage. It can take up to six months for the symptoms to subside, and for about twenty percent of patients it can take even longer. Physical therapists have noted that behavioral training has been very successful in decreasing the length and severity of the incontinence that can occur after prostate surgery. There is also some indication that behavioral training before surgery might also help speed full recovery.

Behavioral training consists of a biofeedback session where men learn to control bladder muscles. They also get instruction for doing proper muscle exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Doctors used a rectal balloon probe to measure the muscle response in their patients, so that they can verify that the patient is doing the exercise correctly. The probe also gives the doctor and patient instant visual feedback showing the patient’s success.

Doctors studied two groups of post surgery patients. One group was using biofeedback and doing the exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the other group was not. In the group of patients that were using biofeedback their average time to regaining full continence was about three and a half months. For the group that was not exercising over half of the men were still having problems with incontinence after six months.

There is a direct correlation between how early and how actively the patient engages in his pelvic floor muscle exercise regimen and how quickly he regains full continence after surgery. So if you are facing prostate surgery, make sure to talk to your doctor about biofeedback and regular exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

As you are working through your recovery, you will want to get through your ordeal with the help of good quality incontinence products. DryForLife offers a discreet and completely confidential solution to all your incontinence needs. Your concerns are very much our concerns; we have been providing incontinence products for over forty years, and we are here to help.

Further Men’s Health Articles

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Mens Health | 1 Comment »

Continence Care Management

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Incontinence is a health care problem that cannot be ignored, and the problem is growing geometrically as the population is aging. Continence care nursing is a growing area of nursing specialty that identifies, assesses and manages urinary, fecal and double incontinence. This nursing specialty looks at health care problems from a holistic point of view as it considers causative factors and the complications that accompany the management of urinary and fecal loss. Continence care nursing includes risk assessment, prevention and skin problems.

While the foundation for primary continence management is based in understanding the normal voiding process, the continence nurse will identify risk factors for both urinary and fecal incontinence as well as assess the overall condition of their patient. This includes getting the patient’s medical history, giving the patient physical examination, and building a profile of the patient’s voiding habits. The continence nurse also looks for factors that can complicate the situation like infection, impacted bowel, urine retention, skin damage and neurological abnormalities.

The primary continence care nurse is responsible for setting up an appropriate continence management program. The nurse will manage food and fluid intake, assist with bowel training and bladder retraining, oversee physical therapy, manage catheter and offer education to their patients. The nurse will also identify patients who require more in depth symptom analysis.

The advanced continence care nurse will perform the same assessments that a primary continence care nurse does as well as performing a detailed physical exam, fluoroscopic imaging, overseeing management of the patient’s condition, helping with pelvic floor rehabilitation/education, and fitting vaginal pessaries.

Both the primary and advanced continence care nurses know the physiology and anatomy of the digestive system including the GI, GU and integumentary systems. The continence care nurse is comfortable dealing with elimination problems and can collaborate with other health care professionals to help the patient manage their continence problem.

With over half of the elderly populations in institutions having continence issues, the continence care nurse is proving to be a valuable addition to a comprehensive and holistic approach to dealing with the challenges of continence health.

Incontinence pads can allow those who suffer from incontinence symptoms the security to live their lives free of worry. They come in a variety of sizes, and absorbencies to deal with mild to severe incontinence. They are comfortable to wear, and protect skin from irritation. They are invaluable in protecting clothing and furniture. They can be worn by themselves inside underpants or can be used in conjunction with incontinence pants. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads with all of these qualities, allowing you to simply live your life.

For More Continence Articles

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Continence | 2 Comments »

Bladder Problems in Men

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

A study conducted earlier this year was designed to research an important issue with bladder problems and men’s health. The study was conducted by a team at San Diego Medical Center in California. Along with the medical advances in the last decade men’s overall health care has improved, which is offering men increased longevity. Along with this longer life span, however, come problems, some of which have surprising side effects.

The San Diego Medical Center study measured whether elderly men with severe bladder problems have a higher risk of suffering a debilitating fall. The team studied over five thousand men over the age of 65. Of these men between five and ten percent of them had severe bladder problems. Interestingly, throughout the term of the study about a quarter of the men reported falling at least one time, and over a tenth of the men reported falling two or more times.

What the research team found is that mild bladder weakness did not significantly increase the numbers of falls that an elderly man experienced. However, when men suffered from more serious bladder problems, they were much more likely to experience a fall. The type of incontinence symptoms most commonly associated with the increased umber of falls is urgency problems.

It is in rushing to the bathroom that the increased danger of falling occurs as well as in frequent trips to the bathroom at night, in the dark. The sudden dash for the toilet has caused its fair share of injuries. Another problem that adds to the number of falls is that men who have trouble relieving themselves may try using the Valsalva maneuver. This maneuver is when a person exhales forcefully without letting of the air out, and it can cause fainting.

Frequent bathroom trips at night may leave an elderly man sleep deprived, so if they do not trip over something on the way to the bathroom at night in the dark, they still stand the risk of loosing coordination and concentration as they become more tired. Since falls can be so serious and injuries can be devastating in elderly men, bladder problems in this segment should be taken very seriously.

If you are suffering from incontinence you always want to discuss any concerns you have with your doctor. And as you are working through the solution to your problem, incontinence pads can free you from the worry of having accidental leakage in public, and they may even reduce the risk of injury by eliminating the mad dash to the restroom. Incontinence comes in many different sizes and absorbencies to deal with any problem from mild to severe. They protect clothing and furniture, and they offer protection from skin irritation. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads, which may be ordered online and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

Further Men’s Health Articles

Tags: ,
Posted in Mens Health | 1 Comment »

Treatment Options for Adult Incontinence

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Urinary incontinence in adults results from a broad range of health conditions as well as changes associated with aging. Any form of incontinence may cause emotional and physical discomfort, so it significantly affects your quality of life. If you have been experiencing urinary incontinence, keep in mind that there are various treatment options available. Successful treatment of urinary incontinence largely depends on its underlying cause and severity of symptoms. Some adults may favour conservative approaches such as non-drug therapies while others may need surgery.

Behavioral Treatments – Certain types of urinary incontinence may resolve with behavioral techniques. These may be recommended alone or in combination with other therapies. Bladder training involves delaying urination for a few minutes when you have the urge to go. Your should aim to lengthen the interval between your trips to the toilet until you are urinating every two to four hours. Scheduled toilet trips means going to the toilet on a routine basis instead of waiting for the urge to go.

Physical therapy – Kegels or pelvic floor muscle exercises help strengthen your urinary sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. To do this exercise, squeeze the muscles you would use to stop urine flow and hold for a count of three and repeat.

Lifestyle changes – Fluid and diet management may help improve bladder control. Try limiting or avoiding alcohol, caffeine or acidic foods.

Drug therapy – Antibiotic therapy is recommended for patients whose incontinence is caused by infections that affect bladder function. Incontinence resolves when the infection is treated. Anticholinergics are used to control incontinence in patients with overactive bladder syndrome and may be considered for adults with urge incontinence.

Incontinence products - Absorbent pads and protective garments ease the discomfort and inconvenience caused by leaking urine. Aside from promoting comfort, these products also prevent skin irritation.

Surgery – If drugs and other treatments fail, your doctor may consider surgery. Sling procedure is among the common surgical treatments for incontinence. This entails the use of a synthetic material or mesh to create a pelvic sling around your bladder neck and urethra. The sling prevents the leakage of urine because it creates tension, keeping the urethra closed.

Implanting an artificial urinary sphincter also corrects incontinence. This device is particularly helpful for male adults who have weakened urinary sphincters.

Incontinence can be quite embarrassing, hence, some adults with impaired bladder function tend to isolate themselves for fear of ridicule. They fail to realize that hiding incontinence may increase their risk for problems such as urinary tract infections, skin rashes, sores and skin infections. Adults experiencing incontinence must not hesitate to discuss their symptoms with their doctors. The evaluation of your doctor is extremely important in determining which treatment option would best suit you.

Read More about Incontinence Treatments

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Incontinence Treatments | 3 Comments »

Understanding the Cause of a Leaking Bladder

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

People of all ages can have problems with a leaking bladder. It doesn’t matter whether you are 22 or 82 years old it can happen to you. The causes may be somewhat different, but the emotional discomfort as well as physical is the same for all ages. Both men and women can have this problem. A leaking bladder is also known as urinary incontinence.

The number of women with leaking bladders in the UK is astounding. One study of 3,273 women reported that no less than 54% had problems with urinary incontinence or leaking bladder. The leaking of urine was from stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a combination of both. Stress incontinence occurs when you sneeze, cough, or lift something heavy causing uncontrolled leaking of urine. Urge incontinence occurs when the urge to urinate is frequent and urine leaks due to the inability to get to the bathroom quickly enough. The last type is mixed incontinence. This is a mixture of both the stress and the urge incontinence causing urine to leak.

The causes of a leaking bladder can be one or many different of things. One cause is simply the natural aging process. The muscle that is used to control the flow of urine from the bladder to the outside becomes weaker. As this muscle weakens a leaking bladder occurs for a lot of women.

Among the most frequent causes for a leaking bladder in women is pregnancy and childbirth. Women who may not have had problems with their bladder before pregnancy may have problems early into the pregnancy that continue throughout the pregnancy. The problem can last long after childbirth. Women who have large babies as well as those who may have had forceps used during delivery are at a higher risk for developing a leaking bladder.

Some other general causes for a leaking bladder are women who are overweight. Changes that are related to menopause can also cause problems with the bladder. Back injuries or injuries to the pelvis have been shown to be another cause for incontinence.

No matter what the cause of a leaking bladder may be, the anxiety and altered lifestyle can be difficult for anyone, young or old. The problem that is seen in the UK is that most women do not talk with their healthcare professional about the problems that they are having with their bladder. This may be due in part to embarrassment and anxiety.

Anyone can have problems with a leaking bladder. The causes are those that every woman can experience in their lives. Talking with a healthcare professional should be one of the first steps that women take in learning the possible cause of their incontinence. Your doctor can advise and help plan methods that can make your problem more manageable.

With the number of women with this problem there are many great products available to make life easier. DryForLife offers a discreet and completely confidential solution to all of your incontinence needs. Your concerns are very much our concerns; we have been providing incontinence products for over forty years, and we are here to help.

Additional Articles on Urinary Incontinence

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Urinary Incontinence | 1 Comment »

Adult Bedwetting: Causes and Management

Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting is the involuntary voiding of urine during sleep after the age at which bladder control is normally established. Both men and women can suffer from uncontrollable bedwetting. Often, adults who wet their beds refuse to discuss their discomfort even with their own doctors because they feel embarrassed. This is a rather unfortunate mistake because your doctor can give you advice on ways to improve symptoms as well as possible treatments for bedwetting.
Bedwetting is a complex disorder because many factors are thought to play a significant part. Bedwetting that occurs in adulthood may either be persistent primary enuresis or secondary enuresis.

Primary nocturnal enuresis begins during childhood, where nighttime dryness has not been achieved for longer than six months. If this is not resolved during childhood or teenage years, it is quite likely that bedwetting will persist into adulthood.

The causes of primary nocturnal enuresis may be any of the following:

  • Strong genetic predisposition – The exact mechanism for the inheritance of the disorder is still unknown.
  • Insufficient production of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) at night – Your ADH level normally increases during the night, causing your body to produce a smaller total volume of urine during sleep. If your ADH level is not high enough, urine production is increased.
  • Abnormalities of the urinary bladder – Some nocturnal enuresis sufferers have smaller than normal bladders.
  • Psychological factors – Stress and other psychological issues have long been thought to play a part in bedwetting.
Secondary enuresis occurs when a person has established bladder control for a period of six months, and begins wetting the bed again.
The causes of secondary enuresis may be any of the following:
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic constipation
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Urinary tract stones
  • Prostate enlargement
  • Bladder cancer
  • Neurological disorders
Age or illness can weaken the muscles that control the flow of urine to your urethra. If these muscles weaken, you may leak urine during sleep, or you may be unable to stop the flow of urine when your bladder is full.
Adults who suffered from spinal cord trauma from a fall, auto accident, or other traumatic event may also be at risk for secondary enuresis. Anxiety or other emotional disorders are considered as rare causes of adult bedwetting.

Some medications that can cause a deep sleep can lead to adult bedwetting. Such medicines do not enable a person to wake when the urge to urinate occurs.

Management Options for Adult Bedwetting

Adult bedwetting needs to be evaluated by your doctor. If you have relatives suffering from adult enuresis, you need to encourage them to talk about their problem. Their concerns must be treated sensitively, and they must be gently persuaded to seek medical attention. There are a number of treatment and condition management options for bedwetting. These include medications, programs to change the sleep pattern, and exercises to improve the bladder control.

Many adults suffering from bedwetting find absorbent pads, protective underwear and waterproof mattress pads to be extremely helpful. These products promote comfort and at the same time ease clean up of bedwetting incidents. DryForLife supplies incontinence pads, which may be ordered online and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

Additional Bedwetting Articles

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Bed Wetting | 3 Comments »

Continence Advise – Getting Healthy in 4 Minutes a Day

Monday, November 9th, 2009

When you are young and healthy you never give continence a second thought, but if you do not do anything to make sure that you stay continent as an older adult, you may find yourself facing problems later on.  So here is a little continence advise tip that you can easily fit into your daily life now to make sure that you stay healthy.

The key to maintaining your continence health well into your later years is to keep the muscles of your pelvic floor strong and healthy.  Most people never give these muscles a single thought until they are just about not working, and at that point there is only so much that you can do.  However, if you pay a little attention to them now, you may never, ever have to worry about them.

Think of your pelvic floor muscles kind of like a sling stretched across your pelvis.  The sling of muscles has two perforations in it, one for the urethra, and one for the anus.  In women, there is a third perforation for the vagina.  The purpose of the pelvic floor muscles is to support all of the body’s organs for evacuation and childbirth.

There are basically two different types of muscles that make up the pelvic floor. One set of muscles is strong and designed for endurance, and its job is to support the pelvic contents.  The second group of pelvic floor muscles is designed for strength and speed, and it provides additional closing strength for the urethra when needed (i.e. when you laugh, sneeze or cough).

The best way to make sure these muscles stay healthy is simple.  Just exercise them regularly.  For the endurance muscles squeeze them (just as you would interrupt your urine flow) and hold for five to ten seconds.  Then relax for two to three seconds between squeezes.  For the second set of muscles squeeze as hard as you can for one second.

To build strength in these muscles do five of the endurance muscle squeezes and ten of the one second squeezes six times per day.  You can do them anytime, anywhere.  So build a habit of taking a few seconds throughout the day to build your pelvic floor muscles.  If your muscles are already strong, you can do this same set for only three times a day to maintain the strength that you already have.

If you have lost some strength in your pelvic floor muscles, this continence advise may help, but it may take up to six months of religiously doing these exercises, which are known as Kegel exercises, to see a marked improvement in function.  As you are rebuilding your muscles, incontinence pads can free you from the worry of having accidental leakage in public.  They do a great job of protecting clothing and furniture.  DryForLife is always available to deliver incontinence pads to you quickly and discreetly.

Further Continence Articles

Tags: , ,
Posted in Continence | 1 Comment »

Frequent Urination in Women can be More than Annoying

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
At the very least needing to go to the bathroom too often can be more than annoying. It can cause sleep deprivation if you have to get up multiple times during the night to urinate, which may leave you tired and useless the following day. Frequent urination in women is also known as an overactive bladder, and urine leakage may also happen when you laugh or cough.

This condition is generally caused by an infection, hormonal changes or an underlying disease. If the frequent urination is also painful, then this most likely indicates an infection of some sort is present. If you have just recently given birth or are going through menopause, then your bladder may not stretch as well as it used to causing more frequent trips to the bathroom.

Stress is another frequently overlooked reason why women suffer from frequent urination, and in younger women, it may be an early sign of an overactive thyroid gland.

There are also diseases that may include frequent urination as symptoms like chronic kidney disease, tumors or diabetes. Another problem that may cause the need to urinate more frequently than normal could also include kidney stones or bladder stones. Constipation may actually cause you to have to urinate more frequently, and finally the later stages of pregnancy may also cause this problem.

Some causes of frequent urination are self-correcting. Obviously, if you are pregnant, eventually you will give birth, and you will not have the added pressure of an unborn child on your internal organs. Kidney or bladder stones may pass on their own, and an infection may clear up.

Watching what you drink and when you drink it may also help reduce your trips to the bathroom. For example, alcohol and caffeine both irritate the bladder and simply consuming less liquid before going to bed may help limit nighttime bathroom trips.

However, there are times when you will want to seek medical attention when your frequent urination symptoms do not subside on their own. For example, you may have an infection that does not clear up on its own. Or menopause may cause hormonal changes that are not righting themselves without help. So this would be an excellent time to discuss your frequent urination symptoms and treatment options with your doctor.

While frequent urination in women may not necessarily be a serious problem, you will not know if it is or not without having your health provider’s input. So, before you either worry too much or dismiss the problem as insignificant, get a definite diagnosis, and then you will be able to take care of the problem with the proper treatment.

For More Articles on Frequent Urination

Tags: ,
Posted in Frequent Urination | No Comments »

What is Nocturia?

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

During the night a normal person can sleep about eight hours without needing to go to the bathroom, because the human body produces an anti-diuretic hormone that causes fluid retention.  So, what is Nocturia, exactly?  When a person suffers from Nocturia they may get up anywhere from a couple of times per night to about six times per night to relieve themselves.  While Nocturia can occur any time in your life, it is most frequently found in people over the age of sixty. 

On the face of it Nocturia may seem innocent enough, but it can be almost incapacitating for some, because it can lead to the continuous loss of sleep.  Being sleep deprived can at best require an afternoon nap, and at worst it can cause injury or death, as in the case of falling asleep while driving.  So it is something that you should take seriously if it is impacting your day.

Discussing Nocturia with your physician may be a good idea on several levels, because it is frequently a symptom of some other medical condition like an infection, a tumor, or organ and muscle damage.  It may also be a harbinger of heart or liver failure, diabetes or pregnancy.  If you are older there is also the chance that your body is just creating less of the anti-diuretic hormone or you have a normal loss of bladder capacity. 

Another indirect cause of Nocturia is sleep apnea where you may stop breathing for several seconds multiple times during the night.  As you stop breathing, your body shocks itself awake, and you begin breathing again.  This sleep pattern causes you to sleep lighter, and it makes you more susceptible to feeling like you need to relieve a full bladder during the night, thus more frequent urination.

The treatments for Nocturia can be a simple as not drinking liquids for a few hours before bedtime, especially caffeine laden beverages, to medication, to surgery depending on what the underlying medical condition is.  Proper diagnosis of the cause of Nocturia is essential to finding the correct course of treatment.  So if you find yourself dragging out of bed more than once during the night to make a trip to the bathroom, it is probably time to contact your physician to learn more about what is Nocturia and why it is affecting you.

Further Articles Regarding Frequent Urination
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Tags:
Posted in Frequent Urination | 1 Comment »

Disclaimer - The research, clinical material and advice provided on this website is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for medical treatment, nor an alternative to medical advice. Any action taken in response to the information given on this website is at the reader's own discretion. Readers should always consult their own Doctor in all health matters. Please read our Terms and conditions. Copyright ©2003-2009 DryForLife®