If you’re reading this, you are likely one of the hundreds of millions of people who have incontinence. We understand you may be frustrated, or resigned, or embarrassed with your condition. However, something has to be done, because doing nothing means staying at home, or never sneezing, or never running, or never hiking. Doing nothing isn’t an option, so with time, you learn how to manage your incontinence.. In truth, it is typically incontinence symptoms that get dealt with.
Let’s just address the elephant in the room. Incontinence is BIG business. People will pay to not be embarrassed with leaks, and to be able to get back to some activities. So the questions most people ask and search for are:
- What are the best incontinence products?
- What are the best incontinence pads?
- What are the best incontinence pads for night time?
- What are the best incontinence products for elderly?
- What are the best incontinence pads for women?
Let’s be clear. When we say best, we mean “holds the most urine”, “is least expensive”, “provides the most value for your money”, “doesn’t leak,” and “stays secure.” Or perhaps you are like my friend Carrie, in which case “best incontinence products” means “least irritating”, “no dyes”, “no harmful chemicals”, “best cover of smell.”
But here’s something that you may not realize. When you are asking about the “best” incontinence product, you are asking the wrong question!!
Absorbents Don’t Treat The Issue
Using incontinence products is often a necessity for many people with bladder leaks, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, when you only manage your symptoms with absorbent products, you’re not doing anything to actually treat the condition.
The World Health Organization at one point said Incontinence was the largest health problem that was reversible. That means it is treatable, and it is preventable. How? It helps to understand the root of the problem.
The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for a lot of things, but one of the biggest things they do is to hold urine when your bladder becomes full or you have a need to go to the bathroom. Many people don’t realize until it’s too late that these muscles, like any other muscle in the body, need to be conditioned to stay strong and healthy.
Many people ignore their pelvic floor muscles, causing the muscles to get too weak to hold urine in the bladder under pressure. This can result in leaking when people experience pressure on the bladder due to things like coughing, sneezing, or laughing, and is called stress incontinence. To treat this condition, the muscle needs to be strengthened and toned.
Another type of bladder issue many people experience is an Overactive Bladder. This occurs when the muscles of your bladder contract on their own, even when your bladder is not very full. This causes a need to empty your bladder urgently and often. When your pelvic floor muscles are very weak, those sudden urges can turn into incontinence. And, if left untreated, incontinence can get worse over time.
So then, knowing that incontinence will usually get worse if I do nothing, what are the right questions?
- “What treatments are available?”
- “What is the best treatment for my type of incontinence?”
and especially:
- What is the most conservative (least invasive/least intrusive) treatment for my incontinence? (You can always try more invasive, such as surgery, later.)
These are the best questions to ask because they get to the root of the problem. Finding the right treatment can start to reverse incontinence and many treatments are quite cost-effective. Many people don’t get treatment because they simply think “I don’t want surgery.” But there are many more conservative, affordable, and easy-to-use treatments.
Conservative means least invasive, but have you also considered least intrusive on your lifestyle? There are non-vaginal wearable treatments, such as ELITONE that help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles while you walk around and do other things. You don’t have to be stationary or indecent such as with a vaginal device.
Think You Can’t Afford Treatment? Conser The Cost Of Absorbent Products.
The word “treatment” itself may sound expensive. But that entirely depends on the type of treatment you and your doctor decide upon. There are lots of affordable treatment options available, and in many cases, your treatment may be covered by insurance.
The cost of an absorbent pad may not seem like much per package, but the costs add up and in the long-run will likely cost you more. A video by Dr. Sebesta from Vanderbilt University referenced a recent study showing that women with severe leaks were spending $35 a week on incontinence products. That’s over $1800 a year! Way more than the cost of a treatment device. Many of the treatment devices even offer payment plans to bring it down $35/month. That’s already big cost savings!
So asking “what’s the best incontinence product” is not the answer. Learning more about how to treat the root of your incontinence will give you more control over your condition and help you eliminate the need for pads for good.
