Incontinence can affect many people of various age groups from
children to the elderly, male or female, the disabled as well as
the able. Statistics show that approximately 1 in 15 people suffer
from incontinence, with 1 in 4 women experiencing incontinence
during some part of their life as well as 1 in 10 men.
There are several classifications of incontinence:
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Overflow Incontinence
The bladder does not empty properly and can be accompanied by
constant dribbling and poor flow. It is most commonly seen in men
with an enlarged prostate gland or with a restriction in the
urethra.
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Urge Incontinence
A sudden need to empty the bladder but without sufficient notice
to reach a toilet in time.
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Stress Incontinence
The leakage of urine usually associated with women during or
after pregnancy, due to the pelvic floor muscles, which support the
pelvic organs, being stretched or/and weakened. It can also occur
during laughing, coughing, sneezing or vigorous exercise such as
running. Men can also experience stress incontinence after
prostrate operations.
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The Urinary System
The basic purpose of the urinary system is to remove
unwanted elements from the body. The initial stage of the process
begins with the kidneys. The kidneys act as the body's filtration
system by removing waste products from the blood and transforming
them into urine. This is then transported by the ureters from the
kidneys to the bladder where the urine is stored.
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Surrounding the bladder is the detrusor muscle which is
controlled by millions of nerves. These nerves send messages to the
brain when the bladder is full and needs to be emptied. The bladder
can normally hold between 400 - 600ml of urine when full.
When the bladder begins to empty, the urethral sphincter opens to
allow the urine to pass down the urethra and leave the body.
Micturition (passing urine) for the average person occurs between
four to seven times a day, however, this varies between
individuals.
While many incontinence problems can be cured, there are still a
large number of people affected by underlying disorders. The use of
foley catheters, catheter valves, leg bags and night bags can help
individuals to lead a normal life without worrying about
incontinence.
Flexicare offers a wide range of continence care products to meet
different patient's requirements so that they can continue with
their normal daily activities. All Flexicare products have been
designed and manufactured with every user's requirements taken into
consideration, achieving a high level of user confidence and
comfort.
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