• January 22, 2025

Urinary incontinence problems in elderly people

Incontinence is not considered a serious illness, directly life-threatening, but causes considerable discomfort, and in older people it has a particularly bad impact not only on the physical, but also mental sphere. Problems with urinary incontinence limit freedom of movement and cause the seniors to withdraw from all activities instead of taking advantage of life, which in turn may adversely affect their general condition and health. In non-self-reliant people, uncontrolled urine leakage can cause skin irritation and serious inflammations.

Where do incontinence problems come from?

The occurrence of NTMs is supported by factors that we often accumulate carefully throughout our lives: smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking large amounts of coffee, as well as sitting and inactive after work, obesity, etc. The factors that contribute to the occurrence of NTMs are the factors that we often accumulate carefully throughout our lives: smoking, consumption of alcohol, drinking large amounts of coffee, as well as sedentary work and inactivity after work, obesity, etc. All this has an impact on our condition in the future and translates into problems with incontinence. Eliminating these factors can make a lot of difference to other aspects of physical health.

Other causes of incontinence may be pregnancy and childbirth in women, prostate hypertrophy in men and complications in both sexes after some surgeries.

Incontinence in the elderly

Urinary incontinence problems are not only a worsening of everyday comfort. Unfortunately, the ailment is usually underestimated, because it does not threaten life, but it significantly reduces its quality. Lack of bladder control causes the patient to give up contact with people and spend more time sitting, avoiding any activity. This in turn never has a positive effect on your mood or condition. In dependants and bedridden patients urinary incontinence may cause painful irritation and inflammatory conditions. It was also found that improper care in these cases may escalate the problem of decubitus ulcers.

Individuals whose incontinence is a rare episode can try to subdue the problem by doing simple Kegel muscle training, the pelvic floor muscles. It is even possible to carry them out in the company of other people - nobody will notice it. Regular exercise can make a real difference and bring about a significant improvement in bladder control.

On the other hand, people who have more serious problems with maintaining urine will be based on pharmacological treatment, and in case of its failure, perhaps surgical treatment - this is decided by a doctor after performing the necessary tests.

When taking care of an elderly person suffering from NTM, it is worth to use special hygienic accessories designed for this purpose. Older people's skin is more sensitive and susceptible to damage, so products should be made of safe and pleasant to the touch materials that minimize the risk of irritation.

Regardless of the degree of urinary incontinence problem, it is easy to choose the right hygienic articles. These include e.g. insoles, sanitary towels, lingerie, diapers and pads, in versions for women and men, e.g. by TENA. Different products have different levels of absorbency, but they all have one thing in common: comfort, discretion and effective absorption of moisture and odours.

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