Urinary incontinence is the unintentional passing of urine. It is a very common problem that is thought to affect about three million people in the UK. Anyone can experience urinary incontinence, although it is more common in people who are older. The condition affects far more women than men, and it is thought to occur in one in five women who are over 40 years of age.
What is incontinence and am I alone?
Incontinence can be simply described as the passing of urine and/or faeces without control, often at inappropriate times or places. By far the most common problem is urinary incontinence, as many as one in four women and ten men will suffer this problem at some part of their life.Urinary incontinence can usually be caused by many things or sometimes it is just a process of age itself.People that suffer from incontinence often feel very alone and embarrassed, but there is no need - incontinence is a common problem and there are people that can help.
Sometimes your Continence Advisor will recommend the use of disposable or washable absorbent pads as the best method to manage your condition.
These are often supplied free of charge from your local health authority, but this is not always the case. In these instances your Continence Advisor may recommend that you purchase products yourself and will usually suggest which type of product is most appropriate. However we understand that this is often difficult to do. We have therefore given you an option for you to purchase your products and have them delivered to your door and will be supplied in plain discreet parcels on request.If you need any extra help please feel free to contact us and we will be able to offer our expert advice and answer any questions you have.
Size Chart
We have put together this chart to help you better compare which size of pad will suit your size best.
As with any new purchase, when trying a new type or size of protection, please be aware, that sizes vary from brand to brand as shown above.
NB: Our continence pads are size free and should be chosen based on the level of absorbency needed. The fixation net pants used with pads however are suited to the sizes shown.If your having trouble seeing the image below just click on it to zoom in.
Common types of urinary incontinence
Stress or very light incontinence
Stress or very light incontinence is most common in women and is often associated with pregnancy, child birth and the menopause; in men it can sometimes follow prostate surgery. The symptoms are that small amounts of urine leak during physical exertion, such as exercise, sneezing, laughing and coughing. It can also be treated very successfully, ask your continence Advisor for help.
The best selection of products to use is the small shaped or rectangle pads. These are very discreet, yet also very absorbent and can be worn at all times of the day. As they have a sticky strip along the back of the pad, they can be worn with your own close fitting pants.
We recommend:Light shaped pads or rectangular pads.Another type of pad that can be used is known as an insert pad. This product has no plastic backing to protect your clothes and therefore would need to be worn with special pants - known as Pouch Pants.
These have a plastic lined waterproof pouch inside it, in which you slip the pad; when it needs changing, you simply take out the pad, dispose of it and replace it with a fresh one.
Urge or Light Moderate Incontinence
Urge or light moderate incontinence is the urgent need to go to the toilet. Often if you do not quite make it in time, your bladder will leak Common causes of urgency are, bladder infection, kidney stones, after surgery, plus some medicines have this effect.
We recommend:Rectangular Pads or Maxi shaped pads. These have an adhesive strip along the back of the pad, which allows the product to be worn with your own close fitting pants.Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence is caused when the flow of urine from the bladder is restricted or blocked, therefore the bladder never quite empties, and urine from the bladder is restricted or blocked, therefore the bladder never quite empties, and urine constantly dribbles out. Often occurring as a result of an enlarged prostate, it can also occur after surgery or as a result of another medical condition such as multiple sclerosis.
We recommend:Dry Form shaped pads. It is important that all disposable absorbent pads are worn close to the body. Not allowing any air to circulate; in doing so you will take away any chances of sore skin, odours or leakage. A tip is to always try a size smaller than you think you need - remember these pants need to be close fitting and preferably used with net knickers.Faecal Incontinence
Occurs when all contents of the bowel empty without control', warning or sensation.
We recommend:Dry Form shaped pads or our complete range of Adult All-in-ones. All-in-Ones, products often called diapers or adult nappies, provide total protection for heavy urinary or faecal incontinence.Each product is fitted with four sticky tapes and wraps completely around the body. Available in four sizes, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large, the All-in-One product also have a selection of absorbencies: Normal (day time use) and Super (night time use).
Bed protection
We can also offer a selection of bed protection products. Our disposable and washable bedpads, have a very high absorbency level and offer total protection for the bed and bedding.
Reflex or Heavy Incontinence
Reflex or heavy incontinence occurs when the bladder will empty without warning and often without any sensation. Usually the bladder will send a message to the brain that it is full and needs to be emptied, with reflex incontinence, this message is lost and the bladder will empty without warning.
We recommend:Dry Form Large Shape Pad. Shaped to fit comfortably, whilst offering maximum protection and should be worn with the Stretch Support Pants to hold the pads in place.Faecal Incontinence: There are two main types of faecal incontinence, faecal smearing and total faecal loss.Faecal smearing
Faecal smearing is when the contents of the bowel leak, often occur when someone is constipated.
We recommend:Rectangular Pads or large dry form shaped Pad. Both of these products will provide cover and protection against leakage and staining on clothes or you could use Supreme slip-on or Undergarment.Nursing Homes
For nursing homes we can come along and one of our trained continence advisors can present a training seminar on the correct use and fitting of incontinence products. If you are still having problems on choosing the correct continence wear, please call us and we can advise using a product selection tool.
