People of all ages can have a problem controlling their bladder or bowel, and this can have a real impact on their daily lives. Some people avoid going out or need to plan their activities around a toilet. Incontinence is the inability to control your bladder or bowel, so you accidentally lose urine from the bladder urinary incontinence or faeces from the bowel bowel incontinence.
The symptoms differ from person to person. Some people have the occasional leak, while others can completely lose control of their bladder or bowels.
If you have a bladder or bowel problem, talking to a health professional is the first step you can take to help yourself. A doctor can assess your symptoms, identify the cause, and discuss what treatment or exercises may help cure or tackle your problems.
Some tests may help your doctor find the cause of your incontinence or a temporary problem, such as a urine infection, that can be treated quickly. Managing a weak bladder or bowel is an individual thing and sometimes more than one treatment is needed.
Treatments include:. The right incontinence products will also help you manage the problem and carry on with normal life. Products include:. You can buy most of these in pharmacies and supermarkets, but seek professional advice before using them permanently.
Contact your local NHS continence service or clinic for a location in your area and check if you need to be referred by your doctor. A specialist nurse may need to assess if you are eligible and will then arrange your supply of products.
You could take some spare pads and pants with you. You may find a toilet card helpful. Showing this card can help you avoid the queue for a public toilet. Washing regularly and drying carefully with a soft towel will help to keep your skin healthy. Change pads regularly, using a disposable wipe to remove any residue. If your skin becomes broken, speak with your doctor or a nurse immediately as it can lead to a skin infection.
Fresh urine should not smell offensive. However, do not regularly use super-size tampons to prevent sudden leaks if you have stress incontinence. However, tampons can be used occasionally, when necessary, to prevent leaks. For example, during exercise. Other useful incontinence products for more severe leaks include urinals devices that collect urine , or sheaths and drainage systems if you have a penis. A variety of incontinence bedding is also available, such as washable bed pads that sit on top of the mattress and soak up any overnight leaks.
The pads stay dry to the touch and they can be useful for trips away from home. You may be able to get incontinence products on the NHS depending on your local clinical commissioning group. A wide range of products and devices are available for bladder and bowel incontinence.
They include pads and pants; bed and chair protection; catheters and penile sheaths; skin care and hygiene products and specially adapted clothing and swimwear.
The most popular incontinence products are pads that are worn inside underwear to mop up urine leaks. There's a wide choice of absorbent pads and pull-ups for men and women with all types of incontinence. They use the same technology as nappies and have a 'hydrophobic' layer which draws urine away from the surface of the pad, so your skin stays dry.
They stay damp and they can make skin sore," says Logan. For people with severe leakage, continence clinics and district nurses can supply pads, often delivered to your home, on the NHS, but they tend to be big and bulky. You pay for these yourself.
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