Info & Advice
Men:
Urinary incontinence in men
Urinary incontinence is not only a concern for women, but also for men. Although it may be difficult to discuss, many men have recognized that visiting a doctor is the best solution. In Germany, it is estimated that around 1 million men suffer from incontinence. This condition also affects the younger generation in their forties, with 3 to 5% experiencing incontinence as a result of prostate surgery. This number increases with age, affecting 10% of men at the age of 60.
Conditions affecting the prostate, urethra, or bladder weaken the pelvic floor muscles. The causes are numerous, but so are the solutions. The right approach is to speak with your doctor, who knows your medical history and can work with you to plan the appropriate treatment.
Here are some strategies you can apply in your daily life to limit urine loss:
Drink an adequate amount of water to meet your daily hydration Distribute your daily water intake throughout the morning and two to three hours before bedtime
Reduce your consumption of coffee, tea, alcohol, or other diuretic foods
Engage in pelvic floor strengthening exercises. These exercises are not only for women; they also yield good results for men
If you are overweight, make changes to your diet and lifestyle. Focus on maintaining a balanced diet
- Combat constipation by drinking enough water and consuming plenty of fiber-rich foods (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)
There are different types of incontinence:
Stress incontinence mainly occurs in men after surgery. It is characterized by sudden leakage during physical exertion such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting a heavy object.
Urge incontinence is caused by an unstable or overactive bladder that sends the signal for urgent bladder emptying even when the bladder is not completely full. There is a frequent urge to urinate that may make it difficult to reach the toilet in time. This type of incontinence can be associated with various conditions such as urinary tract infections, prostatitis, enlarged prostate, bladder tumor lesions, or certain nerve disorders.
Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Overflow incontinence primarily affects men due to a dysfunction in bladder emptying, leading to bladder overfilling and weakening of the bladder muscle.
Women:
- Millions of women worldwide suffer from urinary incontinence. This condition affects one in three individuals of all age groups. While urinary incontinence can occur in young women, it becomes more prevalent with age, affecting approximately 30 to 40% of women over the age of 65. The social impact should not be underestimated: discomfort, isolation, and loss of confidence can quickly become disabling
- However, you should not let urinary incontinence ruin your life. Protect your freedom by taking effective measures. Break the taboo and talk to your doctor, as they can certainly help you
- Women are often affected by urinary incontinence due to factors related to their femininity. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, overweight, chronic constipation, urinary tract infections, or nicotine addiction can affect the pelvic area. Intense sports involving repeated impacts and pressure on the bladder can also lead to urinary incontinence
- There are different types of incontinence, but the most common form is stress incontinence. In this type, urine leakage occurs without a noticeable urge to urinate. Laughing, sneezing, coughing, jumping, or even mild physical exertion can trigger sudden urine leakage. This form of incontinence, which mainly affects young or postmenopausal women, can be explained by a lack of tone in the pelvic floor muscles and the sphincter
- Urge incontinence occurs with frequent and urgent urination that makes it difficult to reach the toilet in time. It is caused by an unstable or overactive bladder that sends signals for urgent bladder emptying even when the bladder is not full. Various diseases can be behind this type of incontinence. Mixed incontinence occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence are present
- However, there are tips and tricks you can apply to limit urinary incontinence in your daily life. These include: drinking enough fluids, reducing consumption of coffee, tea, alcohol, or other diuretic foods, engaging in regular gentle exercises that do not involve jerky or jarring movements, targeted pelvic floor training, and maintaining a balanced diet. If you are overweight, changing your diet and lifestyle is advisable. Fight constipation by drinking enough fluids and consuming plenty of fiber (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)
Professionals:
Congratulations, you have chosen one of the most beautiful professions. You take care of older, dependent people who suffer from incontinence? At Deana, we understand the challenges associated with this and want to help you make your work as effective as possible.
To find an individual and tailored solution for your facility, we conduct a systematic audit. We analyze your needs, constraints, and goals regarding functionality, care, and quality. Through our partnership with all healthcare professionals and close communication with your caregiving staff and management, we can deliver a customized service that meets the expectations of patients, families, and caregivers.
Our team consists of qualified and experienced nurses specialized in caring for older people. They play a central role in optimizing the efficiency of your facility in managing incontinent individuals. You can rely on them for trust-based dialogue and quality assurance, conducting audits of logistics services and care practices, and establishing tailored protocols for patient well-being and caregiver comfort. We ensure that your staff receives regular training and stays informed about the latest products and techniques to provide the best possible care and support.
We also support you in capturing data about patients/residents in management tools. By capturing relevant data, we can make your facility more effective and improve the quality of care and support.
Overall, our goal is to help you make your work as simple and efficient as possible so that you can fully focus on the care and support of your patients. We are proud to be part of your work and look forward to shaping a better future for older people together with you.
