Many of us may be embarrassed to talk about it but it’s happened to almost all of us; whether it’s caused by uncontrollable laughter or aging, it’s more common than you may think – Urinal Incontinence (UI), the loss of bladder control.
If you know anything about us at Maxim Hygiene Products, you know we’re happy and ready to take on the discussion of any subject, no matter how uncomfortable, as long as it means we get to help you live a “Soft, Safe and Natural” life. Periods and menstruation may be our “uncomfortable discussion” forte, but after receiving daily calls from some of our most loyal fans in regards to incontinence, we knew we had to take the opportunity to cover it here in detail with you.
So, just how common is it? According to the National Association For Continence, UI affects 200 million people worldwide. And guess what ladies, 75-80% of those sufferers are women, 9-13 million of whom have bothersome, severe, symptoms. Why are we so heavily affected? Our urological systems are taking on more trauma than a man’s with the following associated risk factors:
- Childbirth
- Urinary tract infections
- Menopause
- Prior pelvic surgeries – hysterectomy
- Increased weight
- Neurologic illnesses – multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or stroke
- Advanced age
Although females may experience UI more so than men, the condition is equally embarrassing for both sexes. The good news is there are ways to treat incontinence and prevent urinal leakage incidents.
In addition to discussing some treatment possibilities with your physician, here are a few easy and natural do it yourself exercises to treat incontinence:
- Bladder retraining – An overactive bladder can have you needing to hit the restroom way more often than you like. With bladder retraining exercises, your bladder will learn over time and through disciplined training to extend the interval between each voiding period.
- Kegel exercises – strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will not only lower the chances of incontinence leaks, but it could improve your sex life too! Typically known as a recommendation for women, you can check out these different routines for both men and women.
- Staying hydrated – It may seem contrary to thought, but drinking more water is actually better for your bladder. Not having enough water in your system can lead to constipation and dehydration which can irritate the bladder.
- Dietary changes – Avoiding certain acidic and caffeinated foods can help with bladder control for some but not all. Here are some foods and drinks to avoid and test – coffee, chocolate, spicy foods, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners.
These treatments can take up to several weeks to start showing some results, so don’t despair and stick to it before resorting to more invasive treatment options like surgery.
In the meantime and for those who need extra protection for severe cases of incontinence, sanitary or incontinence pads may need to be worn on a daily basis. We hear from people with such needs quite often and although we don’t label any of our Maxim products as incontinence products, there are many women and men who use Maxim sanitary pads for their bladder control sanitary pad needs.
The combination of irritation and incontinence is very common because, with age, the lining of the skin thins out and thus becomes more sensitive to certain materials like the synthetics found in conventional pads. Also, synthetics create a heat-damp environment that encourages the growth of bacteria. Maxim is happy to provide a solution with our line of hypoallergenic cotton pads. Cotton is more breathable which helps reduce the risk of irritation and makes the daily use of pads a little bit more comfortable.
We recommend any one of the following products depending on the heaviness of your flow –
Classic Contour Panty Liners for an extra light flow (item #1-2205530-1)
Ultra Thin Winged Pads for a light flow (item #1-230110-1)
Classic Contour Pads for a heavy flow (item #1-230416-1)
Maternity Pads for an extra heavy flow (item#1-230610-1)
We hope this post provides you some comfort regarding this all too often shamed condition. We understand what you’re going through and are happy to be of service.