When it comes to purchasing incontinence products it is easy to be overwhelmed with the many types and brands of products available…
Finding a product that you trust to provide the proper protection that you need will be huge benefit to your self esteem and abilty to live and active and happy life.
The products available on the market are designed for wide variety of incontinence types and levels . in a variety of prices and quality ranges .
When it comes to finding the right product…. you must understand that each person has different needs and that a product that works wonders for one person may Not work for you,
It is always best to experiment at home with brands and sizes to narrow down the proper product and best fit.
Never test a product in public, use a product at home until you have a level of trust in its protection level and know how long that it work on average.
never try to use a product longer than you know it will work.
It is important to understand sometimes the cheapest option is really much more expensive in the long run…… they will require more product changes and may be prone to more negative experiences like leaks and other more serious health issues like skin breakdown!
Recognizing what your level of incontinence is will be critical to finding the right product,
Using a product not suited to your needs will always end in a negative experience
While using the right product will go further in helping you gain your life back!
There are 3 main types of wearable absorbent products and each type has many styles and absorbent levels.
For the most part these products are designed for very light to light leakage… smaller amounts of fluid spread out over time often found in stress and overflow incontinence as well as post residual dripping. While the larger pads will be able absorb more fluid over time this style may not be the best option for those with larger voids or flow rates.
Some pads may be able to contain bowel movements these usually have some sort of standing guards to help contain solids.
This type of product typically needs to be held in place by standard underwear, or some style of net or fixing pants to maintain proper placement and reduce leaks. Because, this style can move out place with activity they may be more susceptible to leaks for active people with more than light leakage.
pads with adhesive backing greatly help reduce this issue.
The second and certainly the most popular and common style of absorbent wearable is the pull-up or disposable Underwear.This style of product depending on the brand and model will work most often for light to moderately heavy levels of incontinence.
While style will work for overnight use for many people, in overnight use it may not work for moderate to heavier levels of incontinence. The biggest benefit of this style of product is that it provides a greater resemblance to regular underwear, and provides a bit of normalcy. Some products are designed to be very discreet and even have feminine and masculine designs and this can be a huge benefit to self esteem.
There are an extraordinary amount of products in this category and it is hard to tell what level of protection each one is best at… a rule of thumb is the thicker and larger the overall absorbent core is the heavier flows it can manage or longer one can go between changes…
some of these products will work for bowel incontinence look for products with standing leak guards for best protection.
This product style is best for active and mobile people trying to maintain some normalcy. because they are easy to slip on and off this this may be the best designs for those that are still able to use the restroom.
This style most often uses a large amount of elastics to provide a greater range of fit to more people however when used they can get heavy and sag losing a good fit over time which may lead to leaks.
The most obvious issue with this design is that is hard to replace a soiled product without removing shoes and clothing. While it is possible to do so for those that are flexible and mobile it is not easy… most people tend remove clothing to change.
The last category of wearable products and usually due to stigma the least popular (at first)
Is the Tab or tape on style brief…. this style is certainly the best at managing heavier incontinence and provides an overall better fit and greater leak prevention then the other types. This style provides the best custom fit for a wider range of people a good proper fit is the best thing to prevent leak. Because of the way the design works to get and maintain a good fit this it may be the best style for overnight use.
Like the other categories this style comes in an overwhelming range of brands and styles
and not all are created equal!
The cheapest price per brief is usually more expensive in the long run!
Just like the previous categories the thicker and larger the absorbent core is
the heavier incontinence it can manage and longer a product can be worn between changes.
some premium products can keep the skin dry for the most part and be worn for 8 hours or longer with reduced skin breakdown issues. People with sensitive skin will need product changes more often to prevent health issues.
Features to look for in premium products are a quality absorbent core , leg gathers, standing leak guards, front and rear waistbands. Some products have all of these features and some may have only one or two besides the absorbent core leg gathers and standing leak guards are features you should look for this is very important for managing bowel incontinence.
This style is much easier to change for caregivers and with practice many wearers, and should not require complete removal of clothing to change a soiled product.
Because of social stigma this design is often shunned and almost always the last people will try. However , Some people may ultimately find this is the best overall design to provide security and protection for their level of incontinence.
It is important to understand no matter what product works for you or may be best for your needs, is that these products are just functional tools that can allow you to live an active and healthy life.
Incontinence does not need to limit you!
I hope this quick guide will help you narrow down the options and help you find a product style best for your needs. Finding a product that you trust to provide the proper protection that you need will be huge benefit to your self esteem and ability to live and active and happy life.
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