What is Urinary Incontinence?

As you or someone you love ages, there are a lot of questions that come up which you would never expect. For example, when going to the restroom becomes a challenge you may find yourself asking “What is urinary incontinence?”

Incontinence can be an embarrassing situation. It’s very difficult for an adult to realize that they need some help with a most basic bodily function. Urinary incontinence can also pose a risk to health as a result of irritation to the skin.

Urinary incontinence is the condition of loss of bladder control. The severity ranges from a small amount of urine leaked with a simple cough or laugh, to an uncontrolled discharge when the sufferer cannot get to the restroom in time.

For active adults, alterations in their clothing or kegel exercises may be in order. For an elderly person who is not as mobile, then other interventions may be in more effective. The entire goal in treating incontinence is to keep the affected area dry so the skin doesn’t get irritated and infected.

The first thing to discover when deciding how to address the urinary incontinence question is how severe it is. One method to lessen accidents is to implement a toileting schedule. In some cases, the affected person cannot tell when they need to urinate. By implementing a schedule an opportunity for relief occurs even before they know it’s needed. This can reduce the number of accidents.

To protect bedding, plastic sheets may be a consideration. The caution with using these sheets is that they can trap moisture against the skin when the skin comes into direct contact with the sheets. This can cause excessive sweating. This extra moisture against the skin can cause irritation. Look for waterproof pads that have a cloth overlay to avoid this danger.

Keep in mind that the skin must stay clean and dry. When there are accidents caused by urinary incontinence be sure to clean the area with a wipe, or soapy water, and then dry. The health of the skin is important to the overall health of the person suffering from urinary incontinence.