Incontinence - the uncomfortable problem

It is common knowledge that incontinence is the disease of the elderly. This is both right and wrong. It is true that with the aging process going on some health problems appear which were not typical while one was young. One the other hand, incontinence may be a result of trauma, certain diseases (like diabetes), pregnancy and childbirth, some surgeries. So it would be a great idea to learn some basic facts about incontinence and incontinence products in advance.

In general, there are two big types of incontinence. They distinguish urinary and fecal incontinence in medicine. Patients with urinary incontinence complain that they cannot control their bladder, the problem ranging from petty (like occasional small leakage) to totally lost control of urine release. Fecal incontinence manifests itself in involuntary defecation, when stool leaves the bowels without the patient's knowing. Same as urinary, fecal incontinence may take various forms, from mild to severe.

Within each type of incontinence, there several subtypes, and it is necessary to determine the subtype correctly in order to choose the appropriate incontinence products.

The urinary incontinence has the following subtypes. Stress incontinence happens whenever there is physical pressure in the abdominal area, acting on the bladder. Sneezing, laughter, coughing can cause small amounts of urine to drip. Lifting a heavy object, exercising or just walking may also lead to this type of incontinence. The easiest way to cope with stress incontinence is to keep your sphincter and pelvic floor muscles strong enough. When a person suffers from urge incontinence, he or she experiences sudden need to urinate, which can be so acute, that the person will not make it to the toilet on time. In such cases the bladder empties before it is really full. This type of incontinence is mostly often found in elder people, but it can be caused by various reasons including inflammations or general infections. Overflow incontinence is recognizable by the unceasing dripping of urine. It is usually a co-problem with some other diseases or injuries. Mixed urinary incontinence means that a person has two or more subtypes of incontinence at the same time. Usually, one set of symptoms is dominate and, hence, is treated first. INCONTINENCE PADS The "best" subtype is transitional incontinence, as it disappears after a very short time. Bedwetting, or enuresis, is a problem of little children and very few adults. It is generally treated by behavior changes or medication.

The subtypes of fecal incontinence are determined according to the frequency (occasionally, once or twice a week, every day, twice a day) and type of incontinence (gas, mucus, liquid or solid stool).
Whatever the treatment of incontinence is prescribed, incontinence products will make the whole process much easier.