If you are living with urinary incontinence (also called bladder leakage), wearing specially designed products can make your day-to-day life more comfortable, while helping you protect your clothes and furniture. However, it’s vital to first consult a medical professional before choosing a urinary incontinence product to determine if your incontinence can be treated.
Your doctor will diagnose your urinary incontinence type by analyzing your symptoms. Once you learn more about your condition, you can choose the best medications, medical device products, interventional therapy products, and absorbent underwear and pads for your situation.
A senior couple taking a dance class. When using superior urinary incontinence products, you can relax and focus on what really matters.
Choosing the Right Urinary Incontinence Product
There are many products on the market to help you stay ahead of your urinary incontinence and avoid uncomfortable mishaps. When deciding on a product, you should consider:
- Its cost
- How well it works or fits
- Its side effects or comfort level
- How long it will last
- Ease of use
- The amount of urine you lose throughout the night and during the day
- Odor control
Talk to your doctor about the best product for your circumstances. They could depend on the severity of your condition, and the correct incontinence solution could help prevent skin sores, skin rashes and help keep your skin dry.
Medications Used for Urinary Incontinence
Though medications aren’t technically products, they are prescribed by doctors to treat bladder leakage. Therefore, urinary incontinence protection products along with a doctor’s prescription for medications could work to ease your symptoms and their effects.
Medications typically recommended for urinary incontinence may include:
- Topical estrogen (for women): Your doctor may recommend a low-dose prescription of a topical estrogen in ring, patch, or vaginal cream form to attempt to rejuvenate and tone urethra and vaginal tissues.
- Alpha-blockers (for men): Men who struggle with overflow or urge incontinence can use alpha-blockers to ease prostate muscle fibers and bladder neck muscles. Doxazosin (Cardura), silodosin (Rapaflo), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), tamsulosin (Flomax) are examples of medications that make it easier for men to empty their bladders completely.
- Mirabegron (Myrbetriq): Doctors prescribe this medication to help you relax your bladder muscle, allowing you to increase the urine volume your bladder can hold. It can also help you empty your bladder more entirely by increasing the amount you can urinate each time you go to the bathroom.
- Anticholinergics: If you struggle with an overactive bladder or urge incontinence, these medications can calm these conditions.
Medical Devices Used for Urinary Incontinence
The following are medical device products prescribed by doctors to treat women with incontinence:
- Pessary: A pessary is a reusable ring made of silicone that you wear all day after it’s been inserted into your vagina. It helps bolster your urethra to stop and prevent leakage of urine. Besides rings, pessaries also come in cubes or dishes.
- Urethral insert: This is a tampon-like soft plastic balloon put into the urethra before an activity (like sports) can cause incontinence. It performs like a plug to stop leakage, and you remove it before you urinate. Some women utilize urethral inserts for a portion of the day, like exercising. However, to avoid infection, you must insert a sterile insert every time.
- Disposable vaginal insert: A disposable vaginal insert is placed inside your vagina, similar to a tampon. It works by putting pressure on the urethra to stop leakage. This is a urinary incontinence product you can purchase at drug stores without a doctor’s prescription.
Urinary Incontinence Product Devices for Men
The following are medical device products doctors prescribe for men with urinary incontinence:
- Cunningham clamp: This is a device that’s placed over your penis and maintains pressure on the urethra to keep it closed. When you want to empty your bladder, you release the clamp. It is a reusable product that's less expensive than other incontinence options.
- Condom catheter: The condom catheter is stretched over your penis like a condom and has a tube at the end affixed to a bag. This bag ties to your leg. The bag can collect large or small urine amounts, doesn’t irritate your skin, and is simple to use.
- Drip collector: A drip collector consists of a tiny pocket of absorptive padding and a waterproof backing. It’s worn over your penis and is held in place with close-fitting underwear. This option may be suited for men who consistently leak small amounts.
Absorbent Pads and Inserts to Use for Urinary Incontinence
If medications, medical devices, or other healthcare-directed remedies cannot stop your incontinence, consider products like pads, inserts, or disposable absorbent underwear to reduce the inconvenience and discomfort of bladder leakage.
Inserts and Pads for Lighter Leaks
Urinary incontinence pads and inserts are made to be worn in your underwear to catch minor bladder leaks. They hold large amounts of fluid and are made to neutralize urine's high acidity, which can harm your skin if left too long.
If you’ve used sanitary napkins to manage urine leaks, you’ve probably realized they don’t work well for this purpose. Incontinence pads are constructed with polymer materials that quickly wick urine moisture away from your skin to keep you dry and odor-free.
Conversely, sanitary napkins are designed to absorb the slower flow of menstrual blood and cannot hold the same amount of liquid as an incontinence pad.
Disposable Absorbent Underwear Are the Best Products for Heavy Leaks
Adult diapers, in the form of open briefs with tabs or underwear-like pull-up pants, are an excellent solution if you need more absorbency. There are products made to fit any body size and type of incontinence level and can be worn under clothes with minimal bulging.
They use the same technology as baby diapers, including superabsorbent polymers (SAP) that can absorb liquid many times their weight. They also have an absorbent core along with an acquisition and distribution layer, which immediately absorbs urine and locks it away from your skin.
Made for Living is a premium brand of disposable pull-up style absorbent underwear available in four sizes and two absorbency levels:
- Maximum: These are thinner disposable underwear and are made for active users and have an extra soft cloth-like cover
- Ultimate: This is an overnight urinary incontinence product made with extra absorption, a soft, cloth-like cover, and can also be used during the daytime.
Made for Living Offers the Best Products to Use for Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence is a prevalent condition in the United States, especially for women. For example, 25 million American adults are living with urinary incontinence of some kind, according to the National Association of Continence (NAFC).
If this is you, trust Made for Living has underwear options to help you live free from shame. Our high-quality incontinence products offer value at a sensible price. Find the ideal pull-up style disposable absorbent underwear for your incontinence level by calling us or clicking on our order page.
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