What is incontinence?

This entry was posted in General July 19, 2022

Chances are, you’ve probably heard of incontinence and have an idea of what it may be. However, incontinence is something you probably don’t think about and most probably won’t, unless it affects you. Therefore, we’ve created an overview of what it is, what causes incontinence, how to treat incontinence and a few helpful tips for living with incontinence. 

Affecting both men and women across the UK, incontinence is when you’re unable to control either your bowel or bladder, which can lead to accidental leakage. Widely known as urinary and bowel incontinence, several types of incontinence fall under these two, with an estimated three to six million people in the UK living with a form of urinary incontinence alone.

What causes incontinence?

While there are many different forms of incontinence, there are a variety of elements that contribute to both urinary and bowel incontinence. These can include: overactive bladder, pregnancy and childbirth, certain medications, neurological conditions, UTI's, bowel problems, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and many more.

Are you able to treat incontinence?

As mentioned, incontinence is a very individual thing, which comes down to the various types of incontinence that can be experienced by a person. Therefore, there are several ways to help a person manage a weak bladder and incontinence. However, these won't work for everyone and in some cases, there is anything that can be done. Some treatments can include medications, pelvic floor exercises, bladder and bowel training.

Tips on living with incontinence:

Although treatments can’t and won’t work for many living with incontinence, there are several ways you can prepare yourself to ensure you’re living well with incontinence. Our key tips for those living with incontinence are: Be prepared, make sure you always have a stock of incontinence products at home, in your car or in a bag that you carry around with you to ensure you’re always ready should anything happen. This is extremely important if you’re travelling on a long journey too. Skincare, incontinence if not treated properly, can lead to problems with your skin. Therefore, its important to make sure you’re washing and drying regularly and properly, removing any residue and helping to prevent broken skin and infection. Dress code, make sure you always dress for comfort and to allow easy access should you need to change any incontinence pads when you’re out and about. Spare clothes are always handy to have with you too. Stay hydrated, unless instructed to drink normally. This means getting enough water while cutting back on caffeine and fizzy drinks as you don’t want to dehydrate yourself through the worry of incontinence.

If you need any advice on what causes incontinence, or incontinence care products then please get in touch. You can do this by calling your local Ableworld store, one of our staff members would be more than happy to help. Alternatively, you can browse our range of continence care products here. 

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