What is Incontinence

The stigma associated with incontinence is often much worse than the actual physical condition. Some would rather stay home than risk the embarrassment of having an accident in front of friends and family. Roughly one third of men and women in the U.S. suffer from the, somewhat erratic, symptoms that accompany incontinence with little understanding of how to manage it. Fortunately, those who struggle with this condition do have potential solutions available to them to help manage their symptoms. Many people are able to take control of their lives and symptoms by employing a few lifestyle changes and also finding incontinence aids that fit their health needs.

If you are new to incontinence, the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Vanna Medical can help guide you through this stage of life. Let’s start with the basics: What is incontinence? Incontinence is a medical condition that affects the bladder and its muscles and nerves that control urine flow. There are five different types of incontinence. Let take a look at the different types on incontinence.

Stress incontinence - This type is caused by any activity or exercise that inadvertently puts pressure on your bladder and causes urine leakage (i.e. a sneeze, cough, laugh, or even exercise)

Urge Incontinence - Commonly referred to as overactive bladder (OAB), this type is leakage that follows a strong and sudden urge to go

Mixed incontinence - Aptly named, this type is a combination of both stress and urge incontinence

Overflow incontinence - More commonly experienced by men, overflow incontinence occurs when one is unable to fully empty their bladder and later on experiences leakage once the bladder is full again

Functional incontinence - Happens when a medical condition, like arthritis, keeps you from getting to the bathroom in time

Where do I begin my journey to manage my symptoms?

Talk to your doctor! This is the first step towards fully understanding how incontinence affects you, and how to navigate through daily life with this condition.

Understand how to take care of the area. Many people aren’t fully aware of how important it is to keep areas affected by incontinence dry and clean. By neglecting proper care, those working towards managing incontinence could leave themselves open to area discomfort or even infection.

Monitor and limit excessive fluid intake. By employing monitoring and limiting methods for daily fluid consumption, persons begin to “retrain” their bladders to adhere to a new voiding schedule. A good rule of thumb for limiting fluid consumption is to avoid taking in fluids after 6 p.m. to decrease night time incidents.

Reach and maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Working on personal health and fitness goals can also do wonders for easing incidents tied to incontinence. By working toward, a healthy weight and BMI, the muscles of the pelvic floor will see less stress being put on the liver.

Talk to a professional about physical therapy and how doing exercises at home can help build up pelvic floor strength. By strengthening pelvic floors, and corresponding muscles, those afflicted with incontinence can potentially see less unexpected incidents. Many healthcare professionals recommend Kegel exercises to help with strengthening these muscles.

What kind of products can help manage incontinence?

Pads, liners and beltless undergarments. These products are paired with regular underwear for moderate, on-the-go protection. Pads, liners, and beltless incontinence products are often used for light leakage and minimum absorbency.

Protective underwear (pull-on style)Many individuals prefer protective underwear for the product’s ease and leak protection. Protective underwear provides an alternative to products that are often bulky and plastic-based.

Briefs (with tape tabs)Similar to the protective underwear, this product aids in leak protection with the added benefit of tabs for removal. This product is great for overnight protection.

Booster pads (for additional absorbency)This product is used for maximum absorbency. The booster pad is inserted into the protective underwear or brief for extended leak protection; often for overnights and periods of long travel.

Incontinence should not be looked upon as a disgraceful condition. It is a physical disorder that can be treated and frequently cured with the right medical help. If you are incontinent, you should see your doctor about specific treatments that might benefit you. We encourage you to check out our “New Customer Specials” for the greatest deals on incontinence products.

Trust Vanna Medical Supplies to be your supplier of incontinence products. We have been serving our customers with quality products and services for the past five years and look to earn your business and trust. We make purchasing easy and convenient with fast delivery and discrete packaging to protect your privacy. Order today at www.vannamedical.com or contact one of our friendly and knowledgeable customer specialist to have you questions answered and your products shipped to you today.