Be Happy Wise And Well
Happiness is one of the many choices in life that we can choose every day. Being happy is possible, but it takes work. As Greek Philosopher Aeschylus said, Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times. Living with a chronic medical condition that causes symptoms of incontinence can be frustrating, but having the right mindset can sometimes make all the difference. Here are some ways to be a happier person from therapists at HuffPost:
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Conquer anxiety
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Stick to a sleep schedule
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Spend 10 minutes a day outside
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Find a physical activity you love
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Cut back on social media use
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Get a therapist if possible
Doing any of the activities above will help you manage any challenges you may be experiencing, which can be health-related such as incontinence but also personal like addressing a difficult family member or adjusting to a new job. Being mindful of your feelings and emotions and having an outlet is essential to self-care and optimal mental health.
Many individuals managing incontinence experience a constant fear of leaks. Having the right medical care and incontinence products is essential to staying dry and therefore achieving many of your new years resolutions. If youre using the right products day and night, then you are more likely to feel confident, happy and have a better mindset.
Review: Innovo A Six Week Check In With My Pelvic Floor
This is the follow up in my Innovo reviews series.
Ive been using Innovo for about six weeks now. In case you need a refresher, take a quick read of my introductory post here or, if youre too lazy to click a link, , then youll just have to pick it up as you go along. It wont be the same though, so your loss.
Targeting Both The 1 Receptors And The 5
There are several possible methods of increasing the effects of serotonin and norepinephrine on the storage mechanisms of the lower urinary tract. One method is to block the reuptake of these neurotransmitters at the nerve terminals, thereby increasing receptor stimulation . Duloxetine and venlafaxine are two such drugs that block both serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake.
Monoaminergic synapse, illustrating monoamine reuptake from the synaptic cleft and monamine reuptake inhibition.
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How Do I Know What Incontinence Underwear Is Right For Me
To determine what product is right for you, its essential to look at your physical needs and lifestyle. What size underwear do you wear? How much do you void regularly? Is mobility a factor in your life? Are you physically active? Do you prefer incontinence underwear with the lowest amount of bulk? Answering these questions will help you pinpoint which of these top brands manufactures the product that will work best for you.
For further guidance, we recommend looking through the section above: Factors to keep in mind when purchasing incontinence underwear, which helps explain why some people may prefer pull-ups and others may need adult diapers or pads.
Choosing The Right Female Incontinence Products
Every woman has a different experience with incontinence, and the right products for her needs depend on numerous factors, including preference, lifestyle and incontinence type.
Diapers and overnight products are ideal for those experiencing heavy or complete urinary or bowel incontinence. Those with uncontrollable bladder or bowel urges will most likely benefit from wearing a diaper and using underpads as needed.
Some women experience only minor incontinence, such as when they laugh or cannot make it to a bathroom before leakage occurs. Pads or liners may be the best choice in these scenarios. These products are designed to fit right into any lifestyle. They are virtually unnoticeable from the outside and help with protection at precisely the right moments.
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How Do Urinary Incontinence Treatments Work
It depends on which one you buy. Weve included inner and outer electromagnetic devices here and those that provide biofeedback and let you train yourself. They all have the same purpose: strengthening your pelvic floor muscles.
Now technically, you can do this on your own by drawing in your pelvic floor muscles as if you were preventing yourself from urinating. Thats what these devices target.
Since age, exercise, and birth can all contribute to a weakened pelvic floor its incredibly common for folksespecially womento experience incontinence.
Using electromagnetic pulses from the outside or inside, incontinence treatment stimulates your pelvic floor area to tense and relax so you dont have to do it yourself.
If you choose a device that provides biofeedback, youll be led through exercises you perform on your own by drawing in your pelvic floor in a particular rhythm.
Pads Guards And Liners
Many incontinence manufacturers produce pads and liners for women and guards for men. These products feature adhesive tape to bind them into your everyday underwear, providing extra protection against leaks. Pads, guards, and liners are most appropriate for people with minor urinary leaks and do not protect against fecal incontinence due to their placement and size.
Pads, guards, and liners are the most cost-effective incontinence products, and if your most outstanding issue is minor leakage when coughing or sneezing, they may be the best choice for you.
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Making The Best Choice For You
Choosing the best incontinence underwear for you will likely boil down to three considerations: cost, convenience, and style preference. Because we believe semi-reusable products are the most cost-effective option, we encourage you to try out our Two-Piece System before throwing out your underwear with every change.
Our disposable or semi-reusable Protective Underwear delivers all the features necessary to keep you comfortable, dry, and secure. But if youre still uncertain, try using the Product Finder Tool on our website.
How To Choose The Most Suitable Incontinence Pads
Finding incontinence pads is easy enough nowadays, but choosing the right type of pad can be more difficult to figure out.
Although 9% of North Americans and 9.9% of Europeans experience urinary incontinence, the severity of symptoms differs from person to person. In this section, well show you a few pad options based on specific health needs.
Read Also: How To Treat Urinary Urgency
Best For Nighttime: Poise Overnight Incontinence Pads
Amazon
Incontinence can make sleeping uncomfortable for both you and your partner, but a solution shouldn’t have to impact you both. If you regularly have leakage while sleeping, Poise Overnight Incontinence Pads are a great solution. These odor-controlling pads help wick away moisture and absorb wetness for up to 12 hours, so you can sleep in knowing you don’t have to worry about leakage.
Pads For Bladder Incontinence
Incontinence pads are probably the most common and well known type of product available. They are easily accessible either through your GP or from a retail store and are usually the first product tried by someone who has an issue with either bladder or bowel control.
There are many different combinations to try depending on your preference from thinner, more discreet pads through to disposable underwear. Incontinence pads are generally suitable for all. Some people can find them uncomfortable once they become soiled, it is important to change your pad as quick as possible after they become soiled to avoid sore, broken and irritated skin.
Recommended Reading: Is Ciprofloxacin Used To Treat Urinary Tract Infections
Special Products For Women
Women can try different products, depending on the cause for their urine leakage. External devices include:
- Foam pads that are very small and fit between your labia. You take the pad out when you need to urinate, and then put a new one in. Common brands are Miniguard, UroMed, Impress, and Softpatch.
- A urethra cap is a silicone cap, or shield that fits in place over your urinary opening. It can be washed and used again. Common brands are CapSure and FemAssist.
Internal devices to prevent urine leakage include:
- A single-use plastic shaft that can be inserted into your urethra and has a balloon on one end and a tab on the other. It is only for single, short-term use and needs to be removed to urinate. Common brands are Reliance and FemSoft.
Common Causes Of Stress Urinary Incontinence
- Previous pelvic surgery hysterectomy, prostate, etc.
- Illnesses that cause chronic coughing or sneezing
- Smoking, which causes frequent coughing
- Physical changes associated with aging
- High impact activities over many years including running and jumping
- Vaginal childbirth or the use of forceps
Struggling with stress urinary incontinence? Keep reading to check out my favorite well-reviewed products to help with stress urinary incontinence.
Also Check: Ways To Get Rid Of Urinary Tract Infection
What Does Innovo Feel Like
Im not going to lie Innovo is uncomfortable to start with. Youre advised to start off slowly and build up over a few sessions while you get used to the sensation. When you first start, it really hurts at 30, and you wonder how youll ever progress, but you do very quickly adjust. Just experiment with upping the pulse bit by bit but dont worry, you will get there in the end.
Its an odd feeling, because you lose control of your own muscles, and get to watch them contract and relax independently of you. Once you have built up a bit of resistance though, its quite satisfying, and you can definitely feel it working your pelvic floor muscles.
I think the person who has enjoyed me using Innovo and writing these Innovo reviews most so far has been Belle. She hasnt actually used it herself, but she has developed a unique way of encouraging me to do it regularly. Essentially she just really hassles me, and makes me feel bad about myself as a parent, if I make any noise like I might be about to skip an allotted day. This sounds a bit cruel but actually it has been really useful for me. Im not known for having the strongest willpower and it is a bit of a faff to spend half an hour a day, five days a week, strapping yourself in and out of things. Belles emotional blackmail has meant that Ive actually stuck to the programme and, because of this, Ive seen real results.
Who knew she would grow up to be a masochist?
Botox Injection For Bladder Problems
Botox injection has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of overactive bladder for patients who have failed to respond to standard therapy with anticholinergic medications.
Overactive bladder is a type of urinary incontinence caused by overactivity of the muscles in the bladder, causing frequent squeezing of the bladder and, thus, frequent urge to urinate. Botox can be injected into the bladder directly through a cystoscope .
Common side effects of Botox injection may include incomplete emptying, urinary tract infection, and painful urination.
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Cardinal Health Washable Bed Pads
Cardinal Health washable bed pads are a waterproof pad designed to absorb up to 8 ounces of liquid. They come in five different sizes, so they are highly adaptable, are completely machine washable, are latex-free, and the backing is non-slip so you can sleep comfortably knowing the pad is going to be in position all night. Their high absorbency, combined with their durability, makes this one of the best incontinence products to keep on hand.
Top 5 Incontinence Underwear And Adult Diaper Considerations
When it comes to how to choose the best incontinence underwear or adult diaper, there are five primary considerations. Depending on your situation, lifestyle, and preference, these considerations will shift in level of importance for each individual or caregiver. For those on a budget, cost and absorbency are all that may really matter for others, material and style may be more important.
Also Check: What Causes Continuous Urinary Tract Infections
Identify Your Leakage Type
The first step towards the right incontinence product is identifying leakage. Different products are made for different levels of output, so its important to know yours before you choose a product. In medical terms, the types of leakage are broken down and defined as follows:
- Light Light output consists of small dribbles of urine, usually no more than a few drops or very short spurts at a time.
- Medium/Moderate Medium output is characterized by longer streams or heavy dripping of urine, resulting in larger outputs.
- Heavy Heavy output is when there are larger gushes or steady flows of urine, which could occur more frequently throughout the day.
- Fecal Fecal output is any kind of leakage from a bowel movement, regardless of volume.
Keep in mind that leakage isnt limited to one category. Its very possible to experience multiple types of output.
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 youve used sanitary napkins to manage urine leaks, youve probably realized they dont 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.
Recommended Reading: What’s The Signs Of Urinary Tract Infection
Products For Children With Enuresis And Daytime Urinary Incontinence
The products listed here are designed for children with bedwetting or daytime bladder control problems . Some products, such as the bedwetting alarms, are designed to help you child overcome enuresis, while others are designed to contain urine without wetting clothing or allowing any odor so your child can participate in social activities such as day trips or sleep overs without the embarrassment of urine leakage. Although these products are helpful if your child has enuresis or daytime bladder control problems, they do not cure these problems and they do not substitute for seeing the doctor for treatment.
Reusable & Stylish Incontinence Underwear For Men & Women
Choose from a huge selection of discreet, reusable men and women stylish incontinence underwear. The mens collection includes classic and boxer-style briefs with functioning fly fronts and traditional cotton boxers with functional button fly fronts.
The womens collection has various panty styles, regular full coverage, bikini style, hi-cut, sexy lace, lace top, and no-panty line.
All of these options offer urinary protection for light, moderate and heavy urine leakage. They all feature a built-in Unique-Dri absorbent pad designed to pull moisture away from your skin and trap it for a much longer wear time. The built-in pad does this using Agion, antimicrobial fibers that eliminate odor-causing bacteria and wrapped in a nylon layer that prevents urine leakage.
Reusable and washable incontinence underwear are a great alternative to disposable underwear. Purchasing reusables save you over $450 a year and help the environment.
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What Is Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence refers to the loss of bladder control. Varying from a slight loss of urine following coughing, sneezing, or laughing to the complete inability to control urine flow, UI may have root causes that are due to underlying disease. It can also have causes that arent related to a medical condition, including a lack of available bathrooms, extreme anxiety, or intoxication.
Our Top Picks From The Incontinence Products Category
- Designed to provide moderate to heavy incontinence protection.
- Advanced core design offers effective absorption and skin dryness.
- Cloth-like outer fit provides a comfortable, breathable underwear-like fit.
- ELF closure tabs provide a secure grip and reattach without stickiness.
- Fecal containment zone locks up loose stool for improved containment.
- Absorption capacity of 15.5 ounces for worry-free protection
- Waterproof backing to prevent liquid bleeding onto underwear
- Thin, discrete shape is comfortable to wear and wont hinder your daily activities
- Gentle adhesive strip to keep liner in place as you go about your day
- Reduces odors and prevents bacterial growth for comfortable, safe protection
- Holds up to 6oz or 10oz of fluid
- 4 different layers prevent leakage
- Withstands countless machine washings
- Made for moderate to heavy urinary incontinence
- Offers the same comfort, feel, and function as everyday panties
View Price |
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What Types Of Urinary Incontinence Treatments Are There
Weve included three main choices in this list of best urinary incontinence treatments. Ill go over your options, so you know which one is right for you:
- Vaginal pulse inserts
- Non-invasive electrical stimulation
- Self-led trainers
These are what weve included in this list, and they vary in terms of design. While some self-led trainers are small, others are larger and longer to help with additional issues.
In terms of non-invasive treatments, as you saw in the list above, they come in the forms of liners, shorts, and even sit-on devices.
Along with these options, popular urinary incontinence treatments include surgery, medication, and behavioral modifications.
The Right Combination Of Exercise Food And Healthy Living
Getting healthy is possible but it takes preparation, and sometimes with help from a healthcare professional. It is important to always consult with a physician doctor before trying new exercises and changing your diet. Being honest with your doctor can be critical in being healthy in 2020.
If you have incontinence, speaking with your doctor may not always be easy. Nearly half of women over age 50 who have incontinence rarely speak to their doctor about their symptoms. This year, break the mold and speak to your physician about your health and what youre experiencing.
In an article on KevinMD.com, Physician Kevin Pho provides an Essential 10-Step Process for not just finding a doctor, but a good doctor for your specific needs.
Remember to keep the lines of communication open with your healthcare provider. Ask your doctor or healthcare specialist if you can add a new exercise to your life such as yoga. Yoga is a great way to stay fit in 2020. A study on the benefits of yoga with individuals managing urinary incontinence concluded that women who attend pelvic-focused yoga classes claim their urinary incontinence frequency drops by roughly 75%. Standard yoga poses can actually help strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are also helpful in strengthening the pelvic floor. You may want to talk to a urologist or physical therapist for additional information on how to do the exercises properly.
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