While most people associate loss of bladder control with elderly individuals, incontinence is a symptom associated with a number of health conditions and occurs in people of all ages. The severity of the problem varies from occasional urine leakage to complete loss of bladder control. It is important to make a visit to your doctor if you are unsure why you are experiencing these issues. A health care professional will be able to diagnose the underlying cause and provide the proper treatment.

In addition to medical treatment, many people dealing with incontinence are required to make relatively minor lifestyle changes including the use of adult diapers or catheters. While these options may seem highly undesirable at first, modern-day products offer a greater amount of convenience and can be used discreetly. Incontinence is nothing to be ashamed of and more individuals experience the problem than most people realize. In addition, no one has to know that you use the products since they can be purchased from the privacy of your own home via Internet medical supply stores. Not only will online stores offer complete shopping privacy, they are likely to save you a considerable amount of money on medical products. Since online stores carry larger inventories, they offer a greater variety of products and typically offer products at a discounted price.

The type of treatment and medical products you use will depend on the underlying condition and the type of incontinence you are experiencing. A few health conditions that may cause incontinence include Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, strokes, polyuria, or an enlarged prostate in men. The different types of incontinence include but are not limited to:

• Urge Incontinence: This type involves a sudden urge to urinate followed by involuntary loss of bladder control.
• Stress Incontinence: Occurs when pressure is exerted during such activities as coughing, laughing or sneezing and is due to decreased strength in the muscles of the pelvic floor.
• Overflow Incontinence: Involves an inability to empty the bladder due to a blocked urethra, a damaged bladder, or nerve damage. As a result, frequent dribble of urine occurs.
• Mixed Incontinence: Involves a combination of different types of incontinence such as stress and urge incontinence.

Discuss your symptoms with your doctor so that you can begin the most effective treatment plan right away. You will soon get the help that you need so that you have greater potential to reduce symptoms and will be able to use the most helpful medical products available.