Learn How to Find the Best Incontinence Products

Learn How to Find the Best Incontinence Products

Having an incontinence condition is more common than you would think. Here are some facts:

  • About 18 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with incontinence.[1] If not managed correctly, it can disturb the quality of your life.

  • More than 5.5 million Americans have fecal incontinence.[2]
    It’s important to find the products tailored to your incontinence condition.

By using the right products, you can eliminate incontinence anxiety, otherwise known as the fear of urinary and fecal incontinence in public.  You need to determine if the product you require is primarily for fecal or urinary incontinence. In other words, know your leakage output (light, medium, heavy, fecal). If you are curious, yes you can have multiple types of outputs.

Another key factor is knowing your frequency. A great tip is to keep a log when leakage occurs. Obviously, the more leakage, the more absorbency required.

You want to ensure you’re using the correct product for your specific condition. When looking at the products available you’ll need to understand protection level, how they’re used, and what type of output they’re for. Your Provider can also determine the products to fit your needs.

Below is a quick reference chart:

Incontinence Products

Protection

Usage

Output

Bladder Control Pads

Light

Adhesive Liner Attaches to Underwear

Urinary

Male Guards
(Designed for Men)

Light

Adhesive Liner Attaches to Underwear

Urinary

Protective Underwear
Pull-Ons

Medium

Replacement of Underwear

Urinary

Briefs

High

Replacement of Underwear

Urinary/Fecal

Booster Pads/Liners

Supplemental

Used with Another Absorbent Product

Urinary

Now that this all narrowed down, having the right size is vital. The product you choose should fit comfortably snug, not too large, and not too small. If you get the incorrect size, it can cause your product to leak and become inadequate. Most products come in small, medium, large, x-large, and xx-large selections. Most are determined by height and weight.

For some tab-style briefs and pull-ons, sizing is determined by measurements of the waist and hip. To measure these, measure the width of your waist, just below the belly button. Next, measure the widest part of your hips. Finally, measure your thigh, between your knee and pelvis. When comparing your measurements, try to use the highest number you measured and compare this to the product chart.

Struggling with incontinence and product selection can be challenging. It may take time to find the best product for you – fit, leakage protection, and discreetness. Don’t be discouraged and just know you’ll find a product that works best for your need.  

[1] https://info.bhnco.com/blog/incontinence-statistics-in-the-u.s.-an-overview

[2] Adil E. Bharucha, MBBS, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN – Published February 2006. Updated July 2013., https://gi.org/topics/fecal-incontinence/

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