2010 April | DryForLife Incontinence Advice

Archive for April, 2010

Kegels Can Help Light Adult Incontinence

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Along with age, other things like pregnancy and childbirth, injury, surgery, and being overweight can all cause a general degradation of the pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to light adult incontinence. You doctor can assess the condition of your pelvic floor muscles with a digital exam of vaginal pressure, or by using a Kegel perineometer.

The good news is that the condition of light adult incontinence is generally vastly improved by performing Kegel exercises, which help restore strength and suppleness to the pelvic floor muscles. Named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, these exercises are performed simply by contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles are responsible for supporting your internal organs including the bladder, and as they weaken, you can develop urinary incontinence.

While you can do a Kegel exercise anywhere, anytime, if you are not sure how to do the exercise properly, you may find one of the sensor devices that measure the strength of your muscles’ contraction helpful as you identify the proper group of muscles. You can find electronic Kegel sensor devices that are programmable and offer the user biofeedback so that you know the exercises are being performed correctly. A result of physiotherapists collaborating, the interactive machines send safe, electronic signals to the pelvic floor muscles causing them to contract and then relax. The machines are safe and easy to use, and they replicate the correct muscle movement needed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

By targeting the pelvic floor muscles directly, these machines help to make the entire pelvic floor stronger and firmer, which offers renewed support for your internal organs. With your bladder now fully supported, stress incontinence or light adult incontinence are generally no longer a problem. So if you are suffering from light adult incontinence talk to your medical professional about what options you have for treating it. Even if you are embarrassed, realize that your doctor deals with these types of problems daily, and there is no reason to be stressed or anxious when discussing this problem with your physician.

You doctor can help you determine the best course of treatment for your light adult incontinence, and they can help you to identify and engage your pelvic floor muscles so that you can properly perform your Kegel exercises. Oftentimes Kegel exercises alone are enough to banish your light adult incontinence symptoms. So realize that you do not need to suffer in silence when it comes to light adult incontinence, and that your doctor can certainly help start you on your road to recovery. As you are dealing with your light adult incontinence symptoms, make sure that you have access to quality incontinence products. At DryForLife we have been assisting our customers with their incontinence needs for over forty years, and we can help you too.

Further Adult Incontinence Articles

Tags: incontinence products, Kegel exercises, Kegels, light adult incontinence
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Postponing the Need for Incontinence Pads for Women

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Urinary incontinence affects one in three women over the age of sixty, and women are twice as likely as men to develop problems with incontinence. Women are commonly afflicted with stress incontinence, which occurs as a result of weakened pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are weakened as a result of pregnancy, childbirth or menopause. Urge incontinence and overflow incontinence can also occur as a result of nerve damage to the bladder, kidney stones, infection or spinal damage. There are any number of different causes for a woman’s involuntary urination prompting the need for incontinence pads for women.

However, a Swedish study that was published in an issue of Fertility and Sterility draws a strong connection between oral contraceptive use and a measurable decrease in incidents of urinary incontinence among women approaching menopause. The study was conducted as a web based survey. The surveyors questioned over 10,000 women from the Swedish Twin Registry who were older than twenty three and younger than fifty. The line of questioning was interested solely in the connection that oral contraception has with any increase or decrease of urinary incontinence. The study found that as women used birth control their risk of suffering from symptoms of stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a combination of the two was severely diminished. Overactive bladder sufferers also realized a reduction in their symptoms, but not enough to consider oral contraception helpful in controlling the symptoms for an overactive bladder.

What is interesting about this study is that up until this point most other studies concluded that administering hormones to patients generally worsened their condition instead of improving it. Therefore, what researchers have discovered is that hormones have a completely different effect on younger women than they do on older women, because when the hormones are administered to perimenopausal women the symptoms of urinary incontinence noticeably improved.

Oral contraceptives have long been known to combat bacterial vaginosis and offer protection against pelvic inflammatory disease, and now they are showing promise in the treatment of some types of urinary incontinence in older women. Since hormones affect virtually every part of your body, you want to always consult your physician before considering taking oral contraception. So, if you are an older woman suffering from urinary incontinence, rather than simply stock up on incontinence pads for women, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking birth control pills to manage your urinary incontinence situation. And as you are getting your problem under control, remember that DryForLife has been helping their customers find just the right products for over forty years, and we offer speedy and discreet shipping.

Further Incontinence Pads Articles

Tags: birth control, overactive bladder, pelvic floor muscles, Stress Incontinence, urge incontinence, Urinary Incontinence
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Kegels are the Final Step in a Complete Workout

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Most women are all too familiar with Kegel exercises, as Kegels are a routine part of health care during pregnancy. Kegel exercises are used to strengthen the pubococcygeal muscle, also known as the pelvic floor muscles, which support the internal organs including the bladder, bowel and in women the uterus. When performed regularly, these exercises keep the pelvic floor muscles supple, helping to reduce the risk of adult incontinence.

Kegel exercises are equally beneficial to men and women, though most men never worry about that region of their bodies until they are much older. Then conditions like enlarged prostate and general muscle weakness from age begin to cause problems like urinary incontinence, and the importance of healthy muscles along the pelvic floor becomes clearly evident. For women, urinary incontinence can be a byproduct of childbirth, or as in men, ageing can wreak havoc on the pelvic floor muscles leaving them weak and functioning inadequately.

Whether you are male or female, ageing is a condition that is shared by all humans, and if you are lucky enough to be alive, ageing is guaranteed. So men and women would both be well advised to practice their Kegel exercises regularly to ensure healthy pelvic floor muscles to assist in continued continence. Of course for Kegels to be effective, they must be performed correctly, so here is what you should look for when performing your Kegel exercises.

The first thing that you need to do when you are planning to start a Kegel exercise regime is to isolate the muscles that you will be exercising. Learning to do your Kegel exercises correctly is exactly like learning how to do any other type of exercise correctly. After you can feel the muscles that you will be strengthening, it is time to learn how to contract and relax them properly.

If you are not sure what your pelvic floor muscles feel like when you contract them, the next time that you are urinating, stop the flow of urine in mid stream. If you are able to stem the flow of urine, you are doing a Kegel exercise. Once you identify the muscles, so you know what they feel like, do not continue to interrupt your urine flow mid stream; because in time this habit can lead to your bladder not properly emptying, and it can increase your chances of developing a urinary tract infection. For these same reasons, you should avoid doing your Kegel exercises with a full bladder.

If you have tried to locate your pelvic floor muscles, but you just cannot seem to find them, then you should contact your health care professional for assistance. Now that you know where the muscles are and how to contract them, it is time for your workout. To begin, contract your pelvic floor muscles and hold the contraction for three seconds. Then relax for three seconds, and continue for a set of ten repetitions. Over time you will increase the duration of your contraction gradually up to ten seconds with a ten second pause in between each contraction. As you are tightening your pelvic floor muscles, make sure that you do not tighten any other muscle like your abdomen or buttocks. Make sure that you continue breathing normally, and concentrate on isolating the internal muscles to contract them.

Now that you can do a set of Kegel exercises, plan to do a set of ten Kegels three times per day. The more frequently you do them, the easier they will become. So that you remember to do them, connect the exercises to something that you do at that point in time every day like brushing your teeth, commuting to work, etc. It is also a good idea to mix up your workout routine with a set of short burst Kegels. Instead of holding a muscle contraction for ten seconds, try doing a burst of ten or twenty, one second Kegels. Another variation of the Kegel exercise is to picture your pelvic floor as an elevator, and gradually tighten the muscles. Picture an elevator going up and stopping on each floor. That is what you are doing with your muscles, and once you reach the top floor, slowly relax your muscles like your are going back down one floor at a time until your muscles are fully relaxed.

Kegel exercises do not generally require any special training or equipment, however, there are times when a person has trouble isolating the muscles. In this case, physicians may use a biofeedback technique where a small monitor is placed in the vaginal or rectal area so that when you contract the proper muscles it registers on a monitor. This biofeedback helps to identify the proper muscles to contract.

After you begin doing your Kegel exercises, be patient. Like any workout, it takes time to see the results of improved muscle mass. However, if you continue to faithfully do your Kegels, within two to three months you will be quite pleasantly surprised with the results. Remember though, to keep your muscles in shape, you have to continue to do your Kegel workout as a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

Further Kegel Exercises Articles

Tags: Adult Incontinence, Kegel exercises, Kegels, Urinary Incontinence
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Urinary Incontinence Products that Work for You

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

When you notice that you are experiencing a problem with urinary incontinence, you will certainly want to discuss the problem with your doctor, because your doctor can ferret out the exact cause of your condition. Then as you work with your doctor towards a cure for your incontinence problem, you will want to find quality, urinary incontinence products to help you avoid any embarrassing situations.

When you are looking for products, you will of course find pants and pads, and you will also find products that can help your skin stay healthy by preventing irritation and rashes. If you are not sure what types of products would work best for your situation, check with your medical professional, because they have plenty of experience dealing with different products for odour control and skin protection, pads and pants, as well as comfort and ease of use.

After discussing products with your medical professional you will have a good starting point as you set about finding which products work best for you. As you try different urinary incontinence products, if they work for you, great, and if not, then you can try another product or brand until you find ones that work to your satisfaction.

As you try different products, you will determine soon enough which ones work best for you. You may find that different products work for different activities in your life. For example, a disposable pad may work best for your daily exercise routine, where washable incontinence pants may be more comfortable for wearing the rest of the day. At night, waterproof mattress covers may be your most comfortable choice.

When you do wear disposable pants or pads, make sure to change them regularly, because even if they are not soiled, they can chafe your skin and cause a rash. When your disposable pad is soiled, you will definitely want to change it as soon as possible to keep your skin from being compromised and to manage odour.

Washable incontinence pants look very much like regular underwear, and have a reinforced crotch area. Some are even constructed from special fabric that helps to wick wetness away from you keeping your skin dry and healthy. This type of underwear is generally worn without a pad. You can also find waterproof pants that you wear over your regular underwear. Most of these products are very discreet and are virtually undetectable under clothing.

As you are working through the challenge of finding the best products for your situation, DryForLife can help you find the perfect products for your situation. You can try a sample pack of various products, which will give you a great idea of which products you like and which you do not. You may prefer the convenience of disposable urinary incontinence products, or you may prefer the cost savings of washable incontinence products. You may find that a combination of both types of urinary incontinence products really works best for you. Whatever your solution, we are happy to help you find it.

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Tags: disposable pants, incontinence products, mattress covers, Urinary Incontinence
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Surgery for Urinary Incontinence in Men

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Incontinence in men and women is the same yet different. While some causes of incontinence, like weak pelvic floor muscles, are the same for both genders, because the anatomy of men and women is so very different, there are some surgical options that are available for urinary incontinence in men that would not be applicable to women.

For example, using an artificial sphincter to treat urinary incontinence in men is an option that is not available for women strictly for anatomical reasons. The sphincter is crafted from silicone, which is a type of rubber. It is fitted around the urethra at the entrance to the bladder, and it contains an inflatable cuff, which is controlled manually. Once the cuff is in place, a small tube connects it to the control pump which is placed in the scrotum.

To keep urine from leaking from the bladder the cuff is inflated, and when the bladder is full, it is deflated mimicking the action of a real sphincter muscle and releasing the urine flow. This type of surgery is usually the last line of treatment for urinary incontinence in men where other treatments have failed. This surgery is performed in the hospital because it is a fairly invasive surgery, however it enjoys a near perfect satisfaction record from men who have undergone the procedure.

As with any surgery there can be complications such as bruising and swelling at the surgical site, infection, problems with the anesthesia, and it is not uncommon for a followup surgery to be required for fine tuning. Because of these complications, this surgery is generally not performed unless all other types of urinary incontinence treatments have proven ineffective. Depending on the severity of the incontinence problem, some men may prefer to manage their problem with incontinence products like absorbent pads or pressure cuffs.

There is an opportunity cost for every incontinence treatment, so always carefully weigh the pros and cons of any treatment before settling on it. As you are working through your incontinence problem, it is important to have quality products available that you can tailor to your needs. At DryForLife we have been helping men find just the right products for their particular situation for over forty years, and we are only a phone call away. You can order online or by phone and have your products delivered right to your front door quickly and discreetly.

Further Urinary Incontinence Articles

Tags: incontinence products, pelvic floor muscles, Urinary Incontinence
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Mens Incontinence Pads: Solutions that Suit Your Lifestyle

Monday, April 12th, 2010

Finding yourself in the position of needing to understand which incontinence product is the best one for you to use is the last place you ever imagined yourself at this point in your life. As a man especially, the idea of mens incontinence pads is a pretty uncomfortable concept. In dealing with their menstrual cycles, pregnancy and childbirth women are all to familiar with the use of pads, but for most men an incontinence pad is just foreign.

Yet, here you are having to select the right mens incontinence pads for your situation. Before you go any further in your thought process or search for the perfect products, simply look at these pads as a tool that you can employ to continue living a full an productive life. In many cases because of quality, incontinence products you can manage your urinary incontinence symptoms and nobody but you will know. By finding the right tool for the job, you can handle this problem like any other that comes before you. If you cannot see, you get glasses, and when you have a problem with incontinence you get mens incontinence pads. There really is no difference.

When you are determining which incontinence products will work best for you, consider the lifestyle that you want to lead. If you are planning to work out, or play an active sport, you may select disposable shaped pads. Then for your day at work, you may prefer a lighter pad that is comfortable enough to wear all day and undetectable under clothing. There are many different incontinence products available from which to choose, so you may prefer to use disposable mens incontinence pads for some activities and a soft cotton, washable brief for other activities.

While the process of accepting this new limitation may be difficult, if you face the problem head on and find incontinence gear that suits your lifestyle, you can make the situation immensely more manageable. While the transition may be uncomfortable at first, you will acclimate soon enough, and in time you will probably even realize that the whole situation is not quite as bad as you had feared. At DryForLife we have been helping people find the perfect products for their incontinence situations, and we are only a phone call away. You can order your mens incontinence pads online or by phone and have them discreetly delivered right to your front door.

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Tags: Incontinence Pads, incontinence products, Urinary Incontinence
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Treatment for Frequent Urination

Friday, April 9th, 2010

The symptom of frequent urination can be caused by any number of things ranging from an enlarged prostate in men to a growing fetus exerting pressure on a woman’s bladder. It can also be an early warning sign for diabetes, or it may indicate the onset of a urinary tract infection.

After ruling out some of the major health issues connected with frequent urination, one of the more common causes of this problem is an overactive bladder. When an overactive bladder is diagnosed, medications like Detrol, which reduces the urge to go to the bathroom and Ditropan can be a very effective treatment for frequent urination. Sometimes, rather than truly having a physical malformation, the urge to go to the bathroom can be the result of a behavioral compulsion. Anyone who has had to deal with urinary incontinence at any level may have developed a frequent urination problem as a way to deal with their incontinence issues. For these people the idea of having an accident in public is so disturbing, that they would far prefer to make frequent trips to the bathroom.

Especially for these compulsive people using cognitive therapy to make behavioral changes helps them retrain their bladders to be quiet. However, when medication and behavioral therapy do not solve the problem of frequent urination in a patient, there are a couple of surgical options available as a last line of treatment. The first surgical option involves implanting a sacral nerve stimulator, which is a tiny, mechanical device that is placed in the abdomen of the patient, and it connects to the sacral nerves under the tailbone. It works kind of like a heart’s pacemaker and helps regulate nerve messages sent to the bladder.

The second surgical selection is augmentation cytoplasty, which borrows from the bowel using the tissue to increase bladder size. This surgery usually requires cathetertization after surgery, which can increase the risk of kidney and bladder infections, not to mention that it is probably even more inconvenient that the original problem or frequent urination.

While many people chalk up the problem of frequent urination as an eventual and inevitable byproduct of ageing, it is not. By eating a diet rich in fiber and getting adequate exercise, you can help stave off the problem of frequent urination. Also staying away from foods that aggravate the bladder or act as diuretics can keep frequent urination symptoms at bay. However, if you do notice the onset of frequent urination problems, let your doctor know, so that he or she can find and treat the underlying cause of the problem.

While you are working with your physician to find the most appropriate treatment for frequent urination problems, make sure that you have access to quality, absorbent pads to help protect from any embarrassing mishaps. At DryForLife we have been helping people find just the right products to complement their lifestyles and manage their problems for over forty years, and we are here to help. With discreet ordering and delivery available, we can help make your frequent urination problem just a little less of a problem.

Further Frequent Urination Articles

Tags: absorbent pads, Frequent Urination, overactive bladder, prostate
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Bladder Sling

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Incontinence Sling May be a Last Stitch Effort

An incontinence or bladder sling is a surgical procedure used to help manage stress incontinence, and as with any surgery this one should not be entered into lightly. Bladder slings are particularly effective in women, though recently it is also being performed in men, who have tried other surgical solutions to no avail; who have other risk factors such as obesity; or who have a sagging bladder neck or urethra.

This surgery is usually very successful at relieving stress incontinence, and it is performed by placing a sling around the urethra to support it in the proper position. The bladder sling also exerts pressure on the urethra, the urinary tube from the bladder, which helps it retain urine, and it is attached to the patient’s abdominal wall on either side to hold it in place. The bladder sling is made of any number of different materials. Some are natural materials like muscle taken from the woman’s own body. The muscle tissue can also be taken from an animal like a pig. There are also slings composed of man made materials like plastic or polymer

Bladder sling surgery is invasive, and it requires very deep incisions to attach the sling to the patient. For this reason, the patient is hospitalized for several days. The patient is normally catheterized to allow the urethra to drain during the healing process. Allow up to a month for healing, and do your best to take it easy during this time. While pain is a very individual experience, you will most likely feel some pain at the area where the incisions took place, and you may experience some cramping. Your doctor will send you home with medication to relieve the pain, especially the first few days after surgery. Your doctor may also prescribe a stool softener, because constipation can accompany the healing process. Drinking plenty of non caffeinated beverages helps, and including a healthy dose of fiber including fruits and vegetables in your diet will work wonders. If you find that you are suffering from constipation, then let your doctor know so that they can help you to resolve the problem.

While this surgery is typically successful, it is not a simple surgery. By using tissue from your own body, the risk of erosion of the urethra or vagina is somewhat diminished. However, the tissue must be harvested from your body, so it increases the surgical activity that you must endure. Aside from the danger of wearing away tissue, there are some risks involved with this surgery. The sutures can pull out, and if the patient is obese, this risks are even greater. There is always the possibility of post surgical infection or rejection of the tissue used for the sling. The surgery can also affect sexual function, and then there is the ever present risk of complications with the anesthesia.

Before jumping right in and assuming that bladder sling surgery is perfect for you, make sure that you do your homework, and find a doctor who has performed many, many of these surgeries. This is a difficult procedure, so you want to make sure that you have a skilled surgeon performing the operation. To boost the likelihood of the operation being a success, you as a patient can stop smoking, lose weight if you are heavy, and doing Kegel exercises before undergoing the surgery.

Further Stress Incontinence Articles

Tags: Kegel exercises, Stress Incontinence
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Incontinence Clothing Helps Preserve Dignity

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

Especially among the elderly, incontinence is often just one problem among a multitude of other health problems like illness, frailty or pain. Caring for an elderly parent or loved one with incontinence can be difficult and embarrassing for everyone, but by getting the proper continence clothing and ancillary products, you can help your loved one retain their dignity while staying healthy and comfortable.

For people who are bedridden or spend most of their time in a wheelchair, you can find clothing that is designed specifically to ease their situation. For example, you can find open seat pants, which will minimize the frustration and preserve their dignity while dealing with their incontinence situation. By making the whole process of dressing and undressing as effortless as possible, you can take some of the embarrassment and discomfort out of the process for them.

You can find incontinence clothing that eases the stress of dressing and undressing like open seat pants. This clothing eases the entire process of dealing with incontinence. Allowing for a quick clothing change helps keep anyone who is managing their incontinence clean and dry in the most dignified way possible. When confined to a bed or wheelchair an elderly incontinence sufferer may need help getting dressed or changing soiled clothing. Incontinence clothing makes the cleanup process quick and easy alleviating the stress on the caregiver as well as the elderly incontinence sufferer.

By having clothing with an open back design, you can assist an elderly parent without having to lift them, and without requiring them stand up. Pants and skirts with side openings can be removed quickly and easily even if the person is sitting or lying down. These specially designed garments are extraordinarily helpful when trying to maintain hygiene. Changing absorbent pads is a snap with backless clothing, because the soiled pad can be easily removed without affecting the clothing at all.

Incontinence clothing can make dealing with any type of incontinence problem much easier, especially with the elderly incontinence sufferer. By being able to change clothes easily it takes the worry out of having an accident. No longer will the caregiver need to be concerned about hurting frail bones or twisting an arm or leg. Dressing retains more dignity by being less invasive, most especially in older adults who do not want help dressing but need it anyway.

Incontinence clothing is available in fashionable styes with beautiful trims and interesting design details. The modifications are cleverly hidden, and they do not interfere with the clothing’s style. These specially designed articles of clothing keep your loved ones comfortable and warm while looking and feeling their best. While helping to manage the care of a loved one with incontinence, it is important that you have access to quality incontinence products so that you can offer them the best care possible. At DryForLife we have been helping people manage incontinence for over forty years, and with our easy ordering and fast and discreet delivery, help is only a call or click away.