Urinary incontinence (UI) is known to be common, more so in women than in men, but exact prevalence is difficult to pinpoint due to variables in study methodology, definitions of UI, and populations studied, according to recent research published in the August issue of Urology.

Brian S. Buckley, M.D., of the National University of Ireland in Galway (and a former Chairman of the Incontact charity), and colleagues identified, collated, and reviewed the best available evidence on Urinary Incontinence for the Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence.

The researchers found that most studies reported some UI in 25 to 45 percent of women; some UI in 7 to 37 percent of women aged 20 to 39 years; and daily UI in 9 to 39 percent of women more than 60 years old.

Prevalence in men was reported to be roughly half of that in women and to often be associated with surgery for prostate disease.
UI was observed in 11 to 34 percent of older men, with daily UI reported in 2 to 11 percent. About 10 percent of 7-year-olds, 3 percent of 11- to 12-year-olds, and 1 percent of 16- to 17-year-olds experienced some nighttime leakage. The researchers concluded that UI is common, but accurate data on prevalence are difficult to establish because of differences between studies in terms of UI definitions, methodologies, and populations.

Treatment for prostate cancer can cause debilitating side-effects, including incontinence, a loss of libido and impotence according to a recent article by Roger Dobson in the Daily Mail.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, accounting for one in four tumours. The disease mainly affects those over 50, and the risk rises with age. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland which lies underneath the bladder, surrounding the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder).

Doctors have recently developed a technique for reducing the risk of this happening – using a small balloon – A balloon implanted in the body and then blown up could help lessen the side effects of treatment for prostate cancer. Treatment often involves radiotherapy to kill cancerous cells. During the procedure, high-energy X-ray beams are directed at the prostate. Unfortunately, radiotherapy can also damage healthy cells surrounding the gland.

In some cases, this damage is short-term – side-effects, including tiredness and diarrhoea, last only a few weeks or months. But in others the damage is more severe, leading to urinary incontinence, a loss of libido and in 30-to-50 per cent of patients an inability to maintain an erection.

Scientists believe the new treatment, known as the SpaceGuard Balloon, will reduce this risk as it is designed to create space around the prostate, pushing healthy tissue out of the radiotherapy’s line of fire. The balloon is placed next to the prostate. It is then filled with fluid until about the size of a peach. This acts as a shield for the healthy tissue.

The device, on trial at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in the U.S., and other centres, is implanted under a local anaesthetic. First, a tiny incision is made in the skin,and the folded and deflated balloon is inserted. A syringe is then used to inflate the balloon using saline solution.

The procedure takes around 30 minutes and can be done on an outpatient basis. The implant, developed by Israel-based BioProtect, is designed to dissolve after three to six months, the usual length of radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer.
Researchers believe it will improve the safety and effectiveness of the therapy. It may also mean that the radiation dose can be increased, while damage to healthy tissue is reduced.

Dr Raj Persad, a urologist at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southmead Hospital, says: ‘This new technology will enable clinicians to locate more precisely the exact tissue to target. ‘Apart from reducing side-effects, it may also lead to a reduction in the amount of overall radiation the body receives. I look forward to seeing the results of the study.’

Although 1 in 10 of the male population over 65 experience urinary incontinence, until recently the taboos around male incontinence have been even greater than those surrounding the condition for women.

However, we are seeing this situation slowly changing, helped by an increasing number of products specifically designed for male use.

We’ve just added Lil for Men products to our male incontinence products range, both Lil for Men Extra and Lil for Men Super offer a large coverage area for extra security and are discreet and comfortable to wear.

These additions to our range supplement the recently relaunched Tena Men’s range which is now known as TENA Men. The packaging of these products has been changed to become more masculine, more discreet and more consumer-friendly although the product range remains the same, with Tena Men Level 1 and Tena Men Level 2 both available. The improved side elastics allow for greater comfort and ensure a better fit to the body. TENA Men incontinence pads also contain their unique Odour Control™ system that neutralises potential odours for complete confidence. The re-launch of Tena Men Level 1 sees the development of the product to become smaller and more discreet.

Incontinence affects nearly 30% of women over the age of 60 and incontinence pads for women or other incontinence products are the most common method to manage the condition. But that might be changing.
Incontinence in women is often stress incontinence brought on by the pressures and injuries that occur to the pelvic floor muscles as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. As women age, that beat up group of muscles starts to lose tone, just like any other muscle group, and that decreases the support of the organs in the abdomen including the bladder.

With this decreased support, the bladder becomes easily influenced by both internal and external pressure and may cause an involuntary discharge of urine as a result. Laughing, sneezing, coughing or doing rigorous exercises can be the source of sufficient pressure to cause a leakage.

Incontinence pads and pants have been the traditional method of dealing with this issue. However, a study done in Sweden of over 10,000 women seems to suggest that oral contraceptives may have a positive role on controlling stress incontinence. The study showed that women who had taken these contraceptives before menopause experienced decreased rates in both stress and urge incontinence after menopause. There was also a decrease in overactive bladder (urge incontinence) but it was statistically insignificant.
Traditionally it was thought that giving hormones to post menopausal women only worsened the condition. What the Swedish study discovered is that the hormones work differently on women before they reach menopause and that interaction of hormones apparently at least forestalls the incidence of urinary incontinence when the women become older.
It would appear that rather than stocking up on incontinence pads for women, in the future older women could ask their doctors about the possibility of using oral birth control instead. There are obviously other therapies available with proven effects such as diet and exercise but it is would be nice to know that in the future there may be another option

With so many different products available nowadays that will manage incontinence it can prove difficult in determining exactly which ones to use. So in order for you to determine which sort of incontinence product you should be using we offer some guidelines below that you may find very helpful.

The things which you must be looking for when it comes to making purchase of such products are as follows:

1. What form of incontinence do you experience? E.g. Stress, urge and faecal incontinence all have different needs (e.g. high absorbency to cope with large amounts of liquid in a single episode for urge incontinence).

2. How easy are they to use? E.g. Can you put them on easily or will you need help? Products such as Belted All in One products are simpler for normal toileting than traditional All in One pads

3. Will they fit in comfortably with the kind of lifestyle that you like to lead? E.g. can they be removed easily? Pull up underwear is far easier for most mobile people.

4. How much comfort do they provide you with? E.g. a smaller incontinence product is more comfortable to be worn, even if it means slightly more frequent changing.

5. How durable are they? E.g. Would washable incontinence products suffice or do you need the extra absorbency of disposable incontinence products.

6. How much liquid can they retain before they need replacing?

Once you know the solutions to these questions then you can select the products that you feel are most likely to fit your needs well. Also of course you need to take into account your gender as the design of the product may differ for men and women.

So now you are going to buy some incontinence products but are still unsure exactly what to purchase? Here we offer a number of tips that you may find very helpful indeed.

Tip 1 – Don’t rush into purchasing the first product you come across it is worth spending some time doing some research into what is available. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours going from one store to another instead why not look to see what is available by going online. There are various websites such as www.allaboutincontinence.co.uk that are experts in supplying such items and will provide you clear and concise specifics of how each product works.

Tip 2 – As you do carry out your research don’t limit yourself to one particular brand such as Tena. In this way you can get a better idea about how much the item you are considering purchase will cost. As you will soon discover the prices can vary quite a bit from one brand to another and you could end up saving yourself quite a tidy sum on your purchase by spending those few extra minutes doing some comparison shopping, or feel that the extra spent on a quality brand is worthwhile.

Tip 3 – It is important to know that the designers of incontinence products such as Tena and Lille don’t tend to use the same sizing systems. Plus the way that these products are made means that the way that they fit will differ quite a bit. So make sure that you check the size charts for the various products carefully to ensure that you get the right size that will fit well but also comfortably.

It is also a good idea to try several different products out before you make your final purchase for example by purchasing a incontinence sample pack.

Hopefully the tips we have offered above when it comes to purchasing incontinence products will ensure that you manage this kind of problem more effectively. So of course allowing you to lead the kind of lifestyle you want.

Whilst the taboo around discussing urinary incontinence and bladder weakness is slowly being overcome, faecal incontinence remains one of those topics that people avoid talking about still. However, many people have to live with it, and there’s a lot that you can do about it, here is some additional information to help you understand and manage the condition better.

Muscle Damage

Two ring-like muscles – the external and internal sphincter – help keep faeces inside your rectum. Most of the time, they perform their jobs well and there is never a problem. However certain situations can cause damage to those sphincters, making them weak and susceptible to leaking feces. In most cases, haemorrhoid surgery and childbirth are responsible for sphincter muscle damage.

Constipation

Most people experience constipation – an inability to produce bowl movements – from time to time. Constipation is a major cause of fecal incontinence, which seems counterintuitive. However, the hard faeces that are unable to be expelled can become lodged in the rectum; looser stools can then slide out past the blockage, causing incontinence. Also, these hard faeces can sometimes cause damage to the sphincter muscles, making it more difficult for a person to make it to the bathroom in a timely manner.

Nerve Damage

When the nerves that sense stool in the rectum – or the nerves that control the external and internal sphincters – become damaged, faecal incontinence can occur. In the first case, your body is unable to warn you when faeces need to be expelled; many times, you only find out when it leaks out. In the second case, the nerves that are in charge of those sphincters don’t work properly, and incontinence occurs. Nerve damage in these areas can be caused by strokes, childbirth, a habit of straining exceptionally hard to pass stools, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and other conditions that affect nerves in the body.

Diarrohea

Since diarrhea is loose and watery, it is more likely to leak out unexpectedly. Most of the time though, this is only a short-term condition.

Reduced Capacity

Inflammatory bowel disease, rectal surgery or radiation treatment can scar the inside of the rectum, making it less elastic. The reduced capacity then makes faecal incontinence much more likely to occur, since the rectum is unable to stretch to accommodate faeces.

No matter what the cause, it’s important to consult your health professional should you experience ongoing faecal incontinence to receive the correct diagnosis and support for your own condition. Use of Disposable Incontinence products such as Tena Pants Plus or Tena Pants Super can assist in managing the condition and reducing the effect of leaks. However as no product has yet been produced specifically for the absorption of solid matter then it is always advisable to change any product as soon as soiling has occurred to maintain freshness and skin condition.

For those who find themselves unable to manage their bladder, technology is now being used in the U.S. to help people to help people take control of the problem and thus reduce incidences of incontinence.

One person who has benefited is Yvonne De Los Santos, who had gone about her daily life for years without knowing she had a problem.

“I just thought, oh, I had an accident. I didn’t think to seek help,” Yvonne says.

Yvonne’s gynecologist eventually referred her to physical therapist Marlene Kuntz.

“Some women believe that this is normal. It is not normal to leak at any age,” Marlene says.

Marlene is using a bio-feedback method to help Yvonne strengthen her pelvic floor and to manage her incontinence.

“We have the woman connected via a sensor to a specialized computer and the computer is able to show them what their muscle is doing,” Marlene says.

The computer helps Yvonne know which muscles to contract. Marlene uses a series of computer graphics to help Yvonne visualize and pinpoint the muscles that control urine flow.

While this may not be the answer for everyone, it’s an option to be considered before medication or surgery.

Marlene says, “I think it gives women freedom, you know, to be able to do what they enjoy doing and don’t have to worry about getting to a bathroom.”

The therapy runs about 8 weeks and some patients have seen positive results as early as the 4th week

Lounging on a beach towel under the hot sun whilst watching children construct sand castles and listening to the ocean are some of the simple pleasures of a relaxing holiday. After all, the main objective of taking a holiday is to get in some much needed relaxation. The last thing anyone needs is to be worried about finding the closest toilet while in the middle of the beach, museums, amusement parks, traveling, etc.

For the millions of people who experience urinary incontinence, travelling on planes, trains, or cars is possible with the help of many incontinence products. Urine leakage always seems to happen at the worst possible time, and learning to manage it while travelling will prevent a stressful holiday.

Planning a holiday is time consuming especially when plotting around incontinence. Having incontinence products shipped to your home in advance via a home delivery company, such as Allanda saves time and cost whilst preparing your trip and also means you can be sure of having finding the right products for you. Having incontinence products delivered right to your door each month saves you the hassle of rushing out to the shops when your supply is low at anytime.

You could also organize a delivery of products to your holiday location if you are traveling in the UK.

Other simples tips and advice for how to manage incontinence while traveling are:

Transportation: Always allow for delays and hold up’s whilst traveling so plot where toilets will be available on route, and also take the opportunity to use the toilet ahead of needing it to avoid being caught out.

Diet: Ensure sufficient liquids are drunk to maintain hydration but avoid too many caffeinated drinks or too much alcohol which can stimulate the bladder.

Travel Kit: Carry a travel kit containing spare pads, wipes and cleansing products and also hygiene bags for disposal of products in case bins/disposal methods aren’t available when you need to change pads or products.

Living with incontinence is simple and distress-free if knowing how to manage and control the urinary leakage. With all the variety of incontinence products available, traveling can be more effortless than ever before. Worry about having fun on holiday, and don’t worry about incontinence.

Making regular trips to the toilet to try to avoid incontinence episodes can be quite extremely tiring, not to mention frustrating.

One of the problems with incontinence and/or frequent urination is that it sometimes has the effect of discouraging people from drinking sufficient fluids, which can then lead on to dehydration.

Of course maintaining proper hydration is important, but so is staying dry, and on occasion, the need for frequent urination can end up resulting in light incontinence, especially in the elderly.

To help prevent frequent urination evolving into incontinence, there are some simple things that can be done to reduce the frequency of urination or the feeling of the need to urinate. Caffeine and alcohol are among the many foods that irritate the bladder, leading to incontinence. Both of these drinks are also diuretics, which encourage the body to lose liquids. Medications for high blood pressure are normally diuretics also, which can exacerbate the frequent urination symptoms, again leading to incontinence.

There are also a number of diseases that can manifest themselves as frequent urination (in turn leading to incontinence), so this is another reason that it is important to discuss any incontinence problem with your health professional. Two common causes are Diabetes and kidney disease, even more common is a urinary tract infection. In men frequent urination is frequently the result of an enlarged prostate gland, which again often leads way to light adult incontinence.
If there is any discomfort connected with frequent trips to the toilet, then you should seek medical advice immediately.

However, for the elderly, especially as mobility becomes an issue, frequent urination can be just the start a pattern of incontinence. If there is no infection or disease, then there are several things that can be done to address the problem of incontinence. Limiting liquid intake, but still ensuring that enough fluids are being consumed to remain healthy in line with guidelines, can be a start. Next, increasing the holding capacity of the bladder by gradually extending the time in between trips to the bathroom. This can be done by stretching the time by about fifteen minutes and increase the duration every week.
If medication that works as a diuretic is being taken then discuss with the doctor the option of taking this earlier in the day. This will help prevent waking throughout the night needing to go to the bathroom, or risk an incontinence episode like bedwetting.

Kegel exercises or Pelvic Floor Exercises are exercises that increase the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and are named after Dr. Arnold Kegel. They are beneficial to women of all ages especially those preparing for birth although they can also help increase sexual enjoyment. Kegel exercises are straightforward to learn and extremely easy, you can perform them in just a few minutes while laying in bed, in the car or in fact pretty much anywhere.

There are many different causes for a damaged pelvic floor and the most common is the strain brought on from vaginal childbirth therefore, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can ease delivery and make it safer for both mother and child.

Strong pelvic muscles also help control incontinence, many women suffer from incontinence and urinary incontinence brought on by childbirth as well as conditions known as vaginal prolapse and pelvic organ prolapse. In these conditions the uterus, bladder and guts are not properly supported and this leads on to urinary tract and bladder infections as well as incontinence.

Kegel exercises for women can also help with conditions brought on by obesity, aging and naturally feeble pelvic muscles. Many women that have had problems with sexual stimulation and climax have found a great natural cure in the Kegel exercise.

Performing Kegel exercise is fairly straightforward, the general exercise is performed by simply flexing the same muscles that are used to stop the flow of urine. It is important to note that you never want to do the exercise when urinating, this can end up in incomplete emptying of the bladder. It is generally recommended that you slowly build up the time you hold the muscles and be sure to rest the muscles for a similar amount of time and you do the exercises two or 3 times a day.