Incontinence can affect many people of various age groups from children to the elderly, male or female, the disabled as well as the able. Statistics show that approximately 1 in 15 people suffer from incontinence, with 1 in 4 women experiencing incontinence during some part of their life as well as 1 in 10 men.
There are several classifications of incontinence:
The bladder does not empty properly and can be accompanied by constant dribbling and poor flow. It is most commonly seen in men with an enlarged prostate gland or with a restriction in the urethra.
A sudden need to empty the bladder but without sufficient notice to reach a toilet in time.
The leakage of urine usually associated with women during or after pregnancy, due to the pelvic floor muscles, which support the pelvic organs, being stretched or/and weakened. It can also occur during laughing, coughing, sneezing or vigorous exercise such as running. Men can also experience stress incontinence after prostrate operations.
The Urinary System
The basic purpose of the urinary system is to remove unwanted elements from the body. The initial stage of the process begins with the kidneys. The kidneys act as the body's filtration system by removing waste products from the blood and transforming them into urine. This is then transported by the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder where the urine is stored.
Surrounding the bladder is the detrusor muscle which is controlled by millions of nerves. These nerves send messages to the brain when the bladder is full and needs to be emptied. The bladder can normally hold between 400 - 600ml of urine when full.
When the bladder begins to empty, the urethral sphincter opens to allow the urine to pass down the urethra and leave the body. Micturition (passing urine) for the average person occurs between four to seven times a day, however, this varies between individuals.
While many incontinence problems can be cured, there are still a large number of people affected by underlying disorders. The use of foley catheters, catheter valves, leg bags and night bags can help individuals to lead a normal life without worrying about incontinence.
Flexicare offers a wide range of continence care products to meet different patient's requirements so that they can continue with their normal daily activities. All Flexicare products have been designed and manufactured with every user's requirements taken into consideration, achieving a high level of user confidence and comfort.