Are you having difficulties addressing the incontinence problems of your elderly loved ones? You are not alone because thousands of individuals out there who share the same problem like you do. To know more about it, read the article below.

What is elderly incontinence?

It is the loss of bladder control or the difficulty of controlling urination. It is a disorder that affects millions of adults of all ages and of both sexes. It ranges from having a small leak of urine during coughing, laughing to having a strong urge to urinate and having difficulty of controlling it.

At present, more than 12 million Americans suffer from the disorder and senior citizens are at higher risk of suffering the disorder.

The primary reasons for the disorder include:
– diabetes
– inability to move due to arthritis
– urinary tract infections
– enlargement of men’s prostate glands
– weak pelvic muscles after childbirth
– thinning and drying of the vaginal wall especially after menopause
– build-up of stool in the bowels
– obesity because it increases the pressure on the bladder and muscle to control the urge to urinate
– vascular diseases
– inability to move and high calcium content in our body
– Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis

There are different types of incontinence namely:

* Stress – It happens when your urine leaks due to sudden pressure on your stomach muscles caused by lifting something heavy, coughing or laughing.

* Urge – It occurs when you have the urge to urinate suddenly even before you can go to the toilet. It is commonly manifested in elderly individuals.

* Overflow – It is the uncontrollable leakage of small amounts of urine caused by your overfilled bladder.

* Functional – It is when you have the normal urine urge but you failed to go to the bathroom on time due to difficulty of moving around.

* Mixed – It is a combination of the different symptoms listed above.

It is not part of growing old, but it is part of the changes that occurs as one grows older because it can reduce the amount of urine that our bladder holds. Moreover, aging can make our stream of urine weaker and makes us feel the strong urge to urinate often.

Most cases of incontinence in elderly individuals are untreatable, thus, proper care and understanding is needed from family members.

Steps on how to deal the disorder in our elderly loved ones:

1. As part of the family, you should understand their condition and extend your support and care to them. Bring them to your physician to discuss available options to address the problem.

2. Since majority of them are in denial stage and they refused to accept the situation, it is your duty to understand and to help them accept the fact. Assure them that it can be managed and dealt with properly.

3. Know alternative options available to address the disorder. There are numerous products like elderly diapers, absorbent pads and waterproof bedding.

4. Lastly, be sure to keep them clean always to avoid infection and other types of illnesses associated with poor hygiene practices.

With the suggestions and tips mentioned above, you can deal with elderly incontinence appropriately.

Author Bio: Homer M. Cho enjoys writing for Adultdiaperhub.com which sells incontinence supplies and adult diapers as well as a host of additional products.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: elderly loved ones,incontinence problems,elderly incontinence,elderly individuals