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Active Living
Managing Urinary Incontinence By Gwen Morrison
How to Choose an Absorbency ProductChoosing the best absorbent product is a personal decision. Incontinent.com tells consumers to ask these questions before deciding on an absorbency product: - How heavy is the incontinence?
- What is the cost?
- How easy is it to use (putting on and taking off)?
- Is discretion important (smallest, thinnest pad)?
- Is absorbency important?
- Is it a combination of factors, such as finding the smallest, most discreet pad that will absorb the most?
"Men and women with urinary incontinence are often at risk for skin rashes and skin breakdown," says Diane K. Newman, RNC, MSN, CRNP, co-director of the Penn Center for Continence and pelvic health division of urology at the University of Pennsylvania Health Center in Philadelphia, Pa. "Use absorbent products that keep the urine away from the skin, and use topical skin products that protect the skin from moisture (skin barrier products)."
Newman, author of The Urinary Incontinence Sourcebook (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 1999) and Managing and Treating Urinary Incontinence (Health Professions, 2002), says the factors that should be considered when choosing an absorbency product include type and severity of the urinary incontinence, patient preference, quality and cost of the product, availability of the caregiver to remove the product and skin integrity.
As Cheryle B. Gartley, founder and president of The Simon Foundation for Continence, notes in her book, Managing Incontinence(Souvenir Press, 1998), there's no perfect product that works for every consumer. "Many people find that one product alone isn't completely suitable for all situations," says Gartley. "A bulky, highly-absorbent product may be very good for nighttime use or for around the house. For work or social events, an inconspicuous pad and pant system may be more appropriate. For long confinement periods or long periods of vibration (i.e., traveling for more than two hours on an airplane), an extended collection device may be the appropriate coping mechanism."