Incontinence is a term that describes any accidental or involuntary loss of urine from the bladder (urinary incontinence) or bowel motion, faeces or wind from the bowel (faecal or bowel incontinence).
Incontinence is a widespread condition that ranges in severity from just a small leak to complete loss of bladder or bowel control. It can often be a sign of other health problems. Sometimes it can be cured and other times it can be managed better with the right advice or treatment.
If you are experiencing bladder or bowel control issues, you need to first seek medical advice. There is a range of management options available, and your doctor or healthcare professional is the best person to discuss which course of action is best.
There are many types of incontinence:
Whatever how light your bladder leakage maybe we recommend you speak to a healthcare professional or your Dr even if you have only experienced a couple of episodes. If you are experiencing more than one episode regularly, we suggest keeping a diary and record time, date and the amount of fluid loss. Refer to the Continence Foundation Of Australia who have developed a questionnaire to help you determine if you have incontinence.
Incontinence is not just a problem for older people, anyone at any age can develop some form of incontinence and it should not be considered normal. However, women are more prone to incontinence than men.
Most people think that incontinence is a female condition, but in fact, one in ten Australian men experience regular bladder leakage.
Men: Incontinence isn’t just a “female problem”
Incontinence can be slightly bothersome or totally debilitating.
Men are often uninformed about the issues, the chance of embarrassment keeps them from enjoying many activities, including exercising, and causes emotional distress. According to the National Association for Continence* (NAFC), between 2% and 15% of men ages 15 to 64, and 5% to 15% of men over 60 who live at home have incontinence.
Tips
A useful aid is the Ontex Continence Care Tips booklet. The booklet provides tips on living with incontinence and how to continue to live a full and active life.
For a free copy of the booklet use the contact us form on our website or if you are a healthcare professional contact your local Business Development Manager on 1300 788 601
For more useful tips and advice, we recommend reaching out to The Continence Foundation of Australia. They have a free call helpline 1800 33 00 66 or go to their website www.continence.org.au
Sources:
National Association for Continence https://www.nafc.org/
