We know that there are a lot of people that will only use diapers as a way of managing their incontinence, but there are other options out there.
This section will describe some of the other ways to manage it besides using diapers.
If you are having to deal with incontinence, the most important thing that you should be doing is seeing your doctor. Incontinence is only a symptom of something else that is wrong. There are many different reasons that you may have incontinence and it is important to find out WHY you are having it. It might be just an infection, weak muscles, or it could be a sign of something more serious like MS, diabetes, or even cancer.
That's why we say that you need to see your doctor to find out the cause of your incontinence. If for no other reason except to rule out the more serious causes.
When you see your doctor, they may prescribe some medication or some of the other treatments available.
Here are some of the other treatments that are available to help manage incontinence.
Kegel, or pelvic floor muscle exercises are done to strengthen the muscles which support the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum. Often the pelvic floor muscles are weak which contributes to problems with losing urine. Doing the exercises correctly and regularly can strengthen the muscles. Stronger muscles lead to little or no urine loss for many women. It is also risk-free, low cost and painless!
Dietary changes may help improve urinary or fecal incontinence. Eliminating alcohol, sweetener substitutes, and caffeine containing foods and drinks may be very helpful. Other foods that can effect the bladder and/or bowels include citrus drinks & fruits, Carbonated beverages (including sodas), Milk/milk products, Corn syrup, Highly spiced foods, tea, greasy foods, prune juice, eggs, Cabbage family vegetables (onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower), and others.
An artificial sphincter is an implantable device made of silicone rubber. The sphincter surrounds the bladder neck and compresses the urethra. It is activated by pressing a valve placed in soft tissues near the urethra. It is effective for a highly selected group of men with post-prostatectomy UI. An artificial urinary sphincter may be appropriate for clients with incontinence associated with spina bifida, myelomeningocele, spinal cord injury, pelvic trauma, postradical prostatectomy incontinence, and in female stress incontinence which has not been helped by other treatment modalities.
Injecting material to increase the bulk around the urethra can improve the function of the urethral sphincter and compresses the urethra near the bladder outlet. Injectable materials include collagen (naturally occurring protein found in skin, bone, and connective tissue), fat from the patient's body (autologous fat), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)and Durasphere (synthetic compounds).
Depending on either the symptoms or the result of a diagnostic evaluation, urinary incontinence (UI) and overactive bladder (OAB) may be treated with medication. Some types of meds may include Ditropan, Detrol, Estrogens, Imipramine or Propantheline. As with all medications there may be some side effects so it is important to talk to your doctor if you are having any problems while taking any medications.
©2005 Incontinence Support Center