Incontinence Myths

There are some unbelievable stories that float around concerning urinary incontinence.  I like to term these stories…”incontinence myths”. I’ll do my best to explain the difference between incontinence myths and true facts. I will limit my discussion to five of the most common incontinence myths.

#1.  People who have incontinence have small bladders. Not true…that’s one of those incontinence myths. We’re all born with a normal sized bladder, which is a correct sized bladder for our body. Because one may urinate often, he or she may think their bladder is too small and therefore fills up quickly resulting in the urge to urinate. Phooey to that logic…the bladder is not too small. More logically, the cause of incontinence issues are weak pelvic floor muscles, not a small bladder. The only exception to a normal sized bladder, which we are all born with, is if someone has had bladder surgery to purposely reduce the size of the bladder…yes, then one will have a smaller bladder, but that is an anomaly.  So forget about the small bladder syndrome…it’s a myth.

#2.  Cut back on drinking liquids. This theory also falls in the category of incontinence myths. You may be tempted to drink less, but this can make the urine more concentrated, aggravating the bladder and making it more active. The very best advice is to drink moderately in small amounts throughout the day rather than gulping large amounts of liquids at one time. A good rule of thumb is…if you’re thirsty or if your lips are dry, drink. If you’re not thirsty, don’t drink.  Get in the habit of sipping water between meals to get your liquid requirement for the day.  Remember, drinking less liquids than your body requires can lead to dehydration.

#3.   Incontinence affects only old people.  Again, this is another incontinence myth.  Incontinence is actually very common. One in four women and one in eight men experience incontinence at some point in their lives.  Incontinence affects more people under the age of 53 than over. Incontinence is not a normal part of aging,..and aging alone does not cause incontinence. When it comes to a relationship between incontinence and aging, at the very most, it should be considered only a risk factor among several other risk factors including diabetes, obesity, smoking and certain neurological diseases. I can assure you that there are plenty of people, both men and women, who are in their 80s or even 90s and still have control over their bladder…it’s a myth.

#5.  Kegel exercises work only for women.  Another one of the many incontinence myths.  Kegel exercises certainly work for men and are just as effective for men as they are for women. Regular Kegel exercises can prevent and, in some cases, even reverse incontinence. It is important that one learns how to do Kegel exercises correctly. Once learned, it is recommended that they be done on average of three times each day…if you follow that exercise regime, you will see improvement, within only a few weeks, because you will be strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which keep the bladder from dropping.

Let me talk just a bit about Careway Wellness Center. Careway Wellness Center has been in business for more than 42 years and is a leader in the incontinence field. You can shop online or in its award winning retail store. I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Tena line of incontinence products has been Careway’s best selling line for the past eleven years in a row. Because of this record with the Tena Company, Careway is able to offer an extensive free sample program whereby customers can obtain free samples of any of the Tena products and try them in the privacy of their own home before deciding to make a purchase. This guarantees that one has selected the correct product for their individual condition (just call 800-292-4343). In addition, Careway Wellness Center has a wonderful program known as the Tena Club. When members of the Tena Club purchase 9 packages of the same item, they get the 10th package absolutely FREE. When you’re a member of the Tena Club, your savings on Tena products are excellent.  View the video below to see how simple it is to join the Tena Club.

 

My next blog will cover how new technologies have improved incontinence products.  

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