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What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. It can be caused by a range of factors, including weakening of the pelvic floor muscles after childbirth, after menopause, or after prostatic surgery in men. It can be associated with paraplegia, spina bifida or dementia. Living with the difficulties of incontinence is not an inevitable part of aging: it can be managed and is often treatable.
Are there different types of urinary incontinence?
Yes there are five types of urinary incontinence. These are:
Stress incontinence
This is the involuntary loss of urine that occurs through exertion, for example when sneezing, coughing, laughing, jumping or lifting a heavy weight. It occurs mainly in women, especially those who have had vaginal childbirth, and most commonly in men after prostate surgery. (Cuidiu, the Irish Childbirth Trust has information on postchildbirth incontinence, see the contacts at the bottom of this page).
Urge incontinence
This term describes the kind of incontinence characterised by the strong desire to pass urine, even when the bladder is not full. It may be triggered by such things as the sound of running water, having a drink, even arriving home and putting the key in the door!
Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence occurs when there is a restriction to the bladder that means the bladder is not fully emptied. In males, this is commonly due to an enlarged prostate gland causing an obstruction that blocks the flow of urine. This can lead to trickling of urine even after going to the toilet.
Reflex incontinence
Reflex incontinence is the involuntary emptying of the bladder which is the result of damage to the nerves which control bladder function. This is often associated with, spinal injury, aging or neurological disease.
Functional incontinence
This occurs when a person's ability to reach or use a toilet is impeded by physical or environmental circumstances such as poor mobility, poor dexterity, loss of memory, or even poor building design.
Bedwetting in children
In a class of 30 Australian children:
- at age 5, five or more children are still wetting at least twice a week
- at age 7, two in a class will still be wetting at least twice a week
- at age 10, there will be one or two
- at the first year of secondary school, there will be one in the class
- in the transition year (15 year olds) there will be one in every two classes
A helpful book to read for both parents and children is How you can be boss of the bladder by Dr Janet Hall: details listed at the end of the page.
What is faecal incontinence?
Faecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of faeces, also known as bowel leakage. It can be caused by a range of factors such as damage ot the anal sphincter after giving birth, through rectal prolapse, through irritable bowel syndrome or infection, due to spinal injury, multiple sclerosis or stroke.
SO. . . . How can Ecoware's incontinence products help?
Living with urinary or faecal incontinence is difficult: it leads to embarrassment, constant worry, and be socially restrictive. Ecoware's Eenee Designs incontinence products offer both comfort and peace of mind. We sell:
- Environmentally friendly incontinence ecoPads. The ecoPads are fully flushable for soiled ones, or can be composted for wet ones, and so have the bonus of being the most environmentally friendly incontinence pads available. Our ecoPads come in 2 sizes: Small ecoPads have a cpacity of 200ml, Medium ecoPads, so are most suited to mobile people who have mild incontinence. The do not have the capacity to be effective for bedridden people who cannot change their pads regularly.
- Eenee Incontinence Swimmers, suitable for those with bowel and bladder incontinence.
- Eenee
Undies and Satin Boxer Shorts are both ideal for containing urinary and bowel incontinence. The Undies are superstretchy waterproof underpants, designed to take a shaped ecoPad insert. The Undies are firm fitting and comfortable to wear. The Satin Boxer Shorts have a waterproof inner sling that contains the ecoPad, and offer an underwear option that is both comfortable and fashionable.
How well does our swimwear work?
The Glenallen School in Victoria, Australia, caters for students with physical disabilities and/or severe health impairments such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystophy and spina bifida. The school's Principal, Lee Barnaby says:
"many students in Glenallen are incontinent and, in the past, this has created problems. . . A student who soils regularly may be unable to participate in regular swimming programs. . . This problem was addressed by using Eenee Swimmers for a trial priod. We were so impressed with the results that we have since made them a compulsory item for incontinent swimmers. They are inexpensive, comfortable, smart and most importantly imperative to the smooth delivery of our swimming program" (2004).
How and where can I get help?
There are many health professionals who are able to assist with incontinence problems. The first place to start may be your family doctor, who can refer you to a specialist. Alternatively, you may wish to seek help or obtain information directly from the following sources:
- The Continence Foundation
Website: www.continence-foundation.org.uk
Helpline email: continence-help@dial.pipex.com
or write to: The Helpline Nurse
The Continence Foundation
307 Hatton Square
16 Baldwin Gardens
London EC1N 7RJ, UK
- Tirim Bladder Control Information Service,
PO Box 6235, Dublin 17
- Cuidiu Irish Childbirth Trust
- Continence services and clinics
- Your local Continence Nurse Advisor
- Local Community Health Centres
- Reference Books
Hall, Janet, 1997, How you can be Boss of the Bladder, Roda Graphics Australia, Eltham, Victoia, Australia, ISBN No. (0-7316-7673-4)