These washable briefs feature a waterproof pouch on the inside designed to hold a disposable rectangular incontinence pad (otherwise known as an”insert pad” so that the wearer has a choice of absorption levels. The pouch features a special lining which will let liquid through into the incontinence pad and also a waterproof lining underneath the pad to prevent any leaks. A disposable pad is inserted into this pouch and can be quickly and simply changed when necessary.

In addition our Pouch Pants benefit from being made in the United Kingdom from 100% Cotton for extra comfort.

For more information on these items and our full range of washable and disposable incontinence pads and pants visit our website at www.allaboutincontinence.co.uk

Extra pounds, especially in the belly, are considered a risk factor for urinary incontinence. And some studies have found that when overweight women drop even a modest amount of weight, they can curb their risk of incontinence.

Type 2 diabetes, which often goes hand-in-hand with obesity, is also a risk factor for incontinence, regardless of weight. So weight loss could be especially helpful for heavy women with diabetes, however studies hadn’t looked at the question until now.

In the new study, researchers found that overweight diabetic women who took up diet and exercise changes lost an average of 17 pounds over a year. And with the weight loss came a lower risk of developing incontinence.

Over a year, 10.5% of women in the diet-and-exercise group developed new problems with urine leakage. That compared with 14% of women who had not made lifestyle changes.

“Overweight and obese women with type 2 diabetes should consider weight loss as a way to reduce their risk of developing urinary incontinence,” said lead researcher Suzanne Phelan, of California Polytechnic State University.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Urology, are based on 2,739 middle-aged and older women who were part of a larger diabetes study.

For every two pounds a woman lost, the odds of developing incontinence dipped by three percent.

On the other hand, weight loss did not seem to help women who already had urine leakage problems at the study’s start. “We aren’t sure why weight loss appeared to impact prevention but not resolution of urinary incontinence,” Phelan said.

It’s possible, she said, that weight loss is more effective at preventing, rather than treating, urine leakage. Or there may simply have been too few women with existing urinary incontinence to detect an effect of weight loss, Phelan added.

It’s also unclear how to account for the drop in incontinence risk — it might be related to the exercise or the blood sugar reduction, for instance.

Urinary incontinence is very common among women – mainly because vaginal childbirth is a major risk factor.

One recent study of U.S. adults found that about 53% of women older over 20 yrs old said they’d had problems with urine leakage in the past year. That was up from less than 50%  of women surveyed several years earlier. Researchers commented that the increase was partly explained by rising rates of diabetes and obesity.

SOURCE: Journal of Urology, online January 19, 2012.

He said he often has to go the roundabout way of getting women to talk about their urinary incontinence, but a good percentage of his patients are dealing with it.

“I’d say about 40 percent of them won’t say anything about it if I don’t ask,” he said.

Various types of incontinence — stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a mixture of the two — can be caused by poor genes, weak muscles, unhealthy lifestyles and/or an overactive bladder muscle, among other things. Most commonly, a leaky or bulging bladder has something to do with vaginal prolapse, which is a splitting of the muscles in the vaginal wall, allowing the bladder to sag internally.

Multiple pregnancies, hysterectomy and menopause can also contribute to the causes of female incontinence. However, that is not always the case.

Many women put up with the symptoms, but Hutchison said nearly all types of incontinence can be fixed, resulting in a better quality of life.

“There’s a social stigma associated with incontinence,” Snyder said. Putting up with the symptoms over the years, however, will not cause permanent damage.

Weight loss can sometimes help in the case of stress incontinence, which happens when coughing, sneezing, jogging or other activity leads to a loss of control of the bladder. But oftentimes, women must endure the inconveniences of urine leakage while losing the weight as most types of exercise can spur it on.

Men don’t typically have the same issues with incontinence because their bladder is supported by the structure of the pelvis, Hutchison said.

He hopes women aren’t just living with the constant annoyances incontinence causes, dealing with absorbent pads or diapers. Most cases, he said, can be prevented by “just taking care of yourself.”

Chronic constipation, consumption of caffeinated or carbonated beverages, as well as those with artificial sweeteners, can irritate the bladder, leading to more trips to the restroom and an inability to completely empty the bladder, Hutchison said. Smoking, which breaks down the body’s collagen supply, and chronic coughing that puts stress on muscles can also lead to incontinence

Snyder, a specialist who deals with kidney, bladder and prostate issues, said he’s seen patients ranging from 17 years of age to 81, but urinary incontinence symptoms are most common in women during their late 30s and early 40s.

Achieving normalcy is the goal of any treatment, which can include medications, surgery and nonsurgical procedures.

“The secret is a good relationship between the patient and her doctor,” Snyder said, adding that an open dialogue helps to arrive at the best possible outcomes, which is an informed decision.

Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Women

Female incontinence is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom that can usually be treated effectively, an expert has claimed.

Dr Dexter Arrington is an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor at Silver Cross Hospital in Illinois, US.

He regularly sees women who are ashamed of their reliance on incontinence pads, such as Tena Lady, but insists there is no need for embarrassment as the condition is very common.

Dr Arrington told the Herald News: “Urinary incontinence isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom.

“It can be produced by everyday habits, underlying medical conditions or physical problems.”

Fortunately for the millions of women who experience bladder weakness and incontinence, there are effective treatments.

Surgical treatments can often be carried out as outpatient procedures, removing the need for hospital stays.

However, doctors usually recommend a number of lifestyle changes before considering surgery.

These include reducing your caffeine intake, drinking six to eight glasses of water a day, losing weight if necessary and doing pelvic floor muscle exercises.

Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Men

Bladder weakness and male incontinence affect more men in the UK than people realise, an expert has claimed.

Many people regard urinary incontinence as a predominantly female condition, because it is often associated with a history of childbirth.

However, Zoe Brimfield, brand manager for Tena Men incontinence pads, revealed that male incontinence and bladder weakness is more common than people think, with one in nine men in the UK experiencing the condition to some extent.

“That’s around 3.6 million men – enough to fill the stadium at Twickenham 44 times over and Lord’s Cricket Ground 128 times over,” she pointed out.

Ms Brimfield noted that bladder weakness can seriously affect a man’s quality of life, leading them to feel isolated and embarrassed about their condition.

But she revealed: “Tena Men pads specifically designed for male bladder weakness can help men feel fresher, more comfortable and ultimately more confident.”

Other products for men include Lil Pants Maxi and Lil Pants Super, which come in a range of sizes and absorbency levels to suit men with light bladder leakage through to men with heavy incontinence.

Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Men

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, affecting around 37,000 men every year. Approximately one in ten men will develop prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, with the majority of cases occurring in men over the age of 75. The good news is that the majority of patients live for at least five years after their diagnosis and many do not even need treatment if their tumour is growing slowly. Treatment for those with faster growing tumours can also be effective. However, some men experience complications such as urinary incontinence after receiving treatment, which can have a negative impact on their quality of life.

What is the prostate?
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located beneath the bladder in men. It surrounds the urethra – the tube through which urine and semen pass – and is responsible for producing some of the fluid in semen. The prostate often gets bigger as men get older – a condition known as prostate enlargement that affects around one-third of men over the age of 50. Another condition that can affect men is prostatitis, which occurs when the tissues of the gland become inflamed, causing pelvic and testicular pain. The third main condition that can affect the gland is prostate cancer, which is discussed below.

Prostate cancer – signs and symptoms
Prostate cancer accounts for one in four cancer diagnoses in England and Wales, according to NHS figures. The causes of the disease are largely unknown, but older men, those with a family history of the disease and men of black African and Caribbean descent are known to be more at risk.

Men should ensure they are aware of the possible symptoms of prostate cancer, as early diagnosis can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of treatment. According to Cancer Research UK, symptoms include an urgent need to urinate; difficulty in passing urine; and frequent visits to the toilet, particularly at night. Occasionally men may also experience pain when passing urine or blood in their urine or semen. All of these symptoms can also be symptoms of an enlarged, non-cancerous prostate, but men should visit their GP for tests.

Treatments for prostate cancer
The most appropriate treatment will depend on whether or not the cancer has spread from the prostate gland to other parts of the body. Some men opt to have radiotherapy, while others may be eligible for surgery to remove the gland. The different treatment options have both advantages and disadvantages and each patient’s choice of treatment will usually take the possible side-effects into account. For instance, radiotherapy can cause bowel and urinary problems, tiredness, skin irritation, sexual problems and infertility, while surgery – known as radical prostatectomy – can also cause urinary incontinence and other side-effects.

Urinary incontinence following prostate cancer treatment
Urinary problems are unfortunately not uncommon after treatment for prostate cancer. Many men experience urinary incontinence and the need to pass urine regularly at night after undergoing radiotherapy or surgery. This male incontinence is often temporary and can be managed effectively using incontinence supplies until the problem resolves itself. However, about 20 per cent of men who undergo radical prostatectomy to remove their prostate gland experience minor long-term urinary incontinence, while five per cent have more serious long-term male incontinence.

Managing male incontinence
Incontinence can greatly affect an individual’s quality of life, causing embarrassment, a reluctance to socialise and even depression. However, there are many products that can reduce the condition’s impact on a day-to-day basis and help men to maintain an active and sociable lifestyle.

For instance, Men’s Pull-up Incontinence Pants, such as Lil Pants Maxi, can be worn just like normal underwear, while those with light to moderate male incontinence may prefer to use Tena Men incontinence pads, which can be used with their own underwear. Items can also be purchased to protect bedding against night-time leakage, such as a PVC Washable Mattress Cover.

Men may also benefit from maintaining a healthy weight and performing pelvic floor treatments to strengthen the muscles in their pelvic floor, while certain medications can increase bladder capacity and reduce urinary leakage.

Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene

Men and women with adult incontinence or other bladder or bowel problems are invited to attend an event at the Eastbourne Arndale Centre next week.

Medical experts will be on hand from 09:00 to 16:00 BST on September 20th to answer people’s questions about bladder and bowel issues.

The event, which forms part of National Continence Awareness Week, is due to take place near the centre’s Sainsbury’s store and could be useful for those relying on Tena Lady or other adult incontinence products.

Debbie Davis, a community continence nurse advisor with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, told the Eastbourne Herald: “Bladder and bowel problems are still a taboo subject that understandably people do not want to discuss.

“Many of us suffer from bladder or bowel related problems at one time or another in our lives.”

Ms Davis noted that urinary incontinence and other bladder and bowel problems can affect a person’s relationships and quality of life.

But she insisted: “It is never too late to get help and problems should not be ignored.”

Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene

Antibiotics could be beneficial for some patients with overactive bladder, a study has found.

Overactive bladder is a type of urinary incontinence that causes an urgent need to urinate.

According to scientists at University College London, patients can sometimes benefit from antibiotics, even if urine tests come back negative for infection.

The researchers studied 440 patients between 2003 and 2010, all of whom had been diagnosed with overactive bladder syndrome.

They found that patients who received antibiotics alongside anti-muscarinics and bladder retraining typically showed significant improvements over the course of the study.

Those who started antibiotics later in the study period took longer to recover than those who started antibiotics straight away.

Presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the International Continence Society in Glasgow, the study authors concluded: “The data are strong justification for a large-scale randomised, placebo controlled trial of antibiotic use in patients with overactive bladder, pyuria (the presence of pus in the urine), but negative urine culture.”

The findings suggest that administering antibiotics to certain patients with overactive bladder may help to reduce their reliance on incontinence pants, such as Ganmill Pouch Pants.

Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene

A hospital in Surrey hopes to raise awareness of adult incontinence by holding an awareness day next month.

The event, which will take place at Frimley Park Hospital, will teach members of the public about bladder and bowel problems, as well as the treatments that are available.

Many people believe adult incontinence only affects older people, but in fact as many as one in five women and one in ten men will experience problems at some point.

Jane Bibey, urology nurse specialist at Frimley Park Hospital, told the Get Hampshire website that people are often “reluctant” to discuss urinary incontinence.

“Embarrassment is a huge factor in stopping them from seeking help for what is actually a very common but nevertheless distressing problem,” Ms Bibey said.

“Incontinence can be soul destroying but there is a range of treatment solutions available.”

People who wish to find out more are invited to attend the hospital between 10:00 and 16:00 on September 28th, when they will be able to talk to urology nurse specialists and physiotherapists.

Frimley Park Hospital is an NHS foundation trust hospital that serves Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.

Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Women

The idea of adult incontinence used to be regarded as something of a ‘family secret’, but the people are starting to realise the prevalence of the condition, it has been claimed.

Dr Karthik Gunasekaran, a urogynaecologist in Chennai, India, told the New Indian Express that most people over the age of 50 are probably affected by urinary incontinence.

“About 40 to 70 per cent of the populace can be suffering, but don’t know what to do about it,” the expert claimed.

Dr Gunasekaran is launching a new service aimed at increasing awareness of urinary incontinence.

He explained: “After losing control of the urinary or bowel movements, people wait for anywhere between three to seven years before deciding to get specialist help.

“Thankfully, people are waking up to the reality that the social stigma of accepting that ‘you have an issue holding your excreta inside’ is a real problem and can be cured.”

Non-surgical treatments for urinary incontinence include lifestyle changes, pelvic floor muscle training and bladder training, while medication and surgery may also be considered.