Adult incontinence products are now one of the fastest growing categories in the absorbent hygiene industry. Modern incontinence sufferers are not just the elderly. Incontinence can be caused by pregnancy, childbirth, diabetes, prostate, cancer, obesity, and menopause among many other issues. These issues, along with a rapidly aging population, has caused a growing market for adult incontinence products including pants, under pads, light incontinence pads, absorbent underwear and other similar products. This growing market has meant manufacturers have been challenged to develop new products to benefit this new range of consumers.
Modern Adult Incontinence Global Statistics
The data does not lie. Adult incontinence is the fastest growing category in retail and hygiene world wide. There were over $9.7 billion in adult incontinence hygiene products sales with the market expected to surpass $18 billion by 2020. However, these statistics do not necessarily mean an increase in the causes of incontinence. Rather, according to Svetlana Uduslivaia, the Global Head of Tissue and Hygiene Research, much of the growth is due to “consumer education, better understanding of incontinence and better consumer awareness of products available.”
Further, she acknowledges that the surge is driven by the expansion of product options, as well as online stores that specialise in adult incontinence. This type of innovation and product segmentation both increases market visibility and aids those in need. It also pushes manufacturers to produces better, more discreet products to push their visibility in the growing market.
Normalising Incontinence
For younger people, there is the stigma that incontinence is an issue for elderly people only. It is an issue for a number of conditions such as arthritis, and vision and hearing loss that are increasingly affecting younger generations. By normalising these issues, it not only eliminates the social stigma of incontinence but pushes brands to not only modernise the products but also their marketing.
Further, normalising incontinence allows for education, teaching consumers the right products to use as well as offering them a choice of appropriate products. For example, thinner products for active women with light bladder leakage. Manufacturers, as a result, have developed a wide range of products from liners, pads to underwear to cover all needs and situations, as well as protecting against leaks and odours.
Comfort and Discretion in Modern Incontinence Products
With the growth of incontinence products has come a demand from users for better functioning incontinence products. This has led to the development of incontinence products that offer protection, comfort and discretion. As a result, modern incontinence hygiene products have better absorbency and a softer feeling. Further, we can all agree that odour control is a highly important aspect of incontinence products. As such, modern incontinence products work to mask or neutralise odours. By helping to make incontinence products more comfortable and discreet, manufacturers are further aiding efforts to normalise the condition.
e-Commerce and Adult Incontinence Products
With the advent of online shopping, the category of adult incontinence products has seen an upswing. Online selection allows for discretion as well as better and more consistent product options and supply. Further, younger generations often find it easier to shop online than to locate the necessary products in a physical store, while homebound patients appreciate the convenience. Further, many people may research products online first before deciding on what to buy, so having product ranges available online is exceptionally important.
Incontinence and Men
While traditionally incontinence was seen as a feminine issue, and women do still make up around 75-80% of incontinence sufferers, men still make up a large portion of the incontinence market. Products specifically designed to work with male incontinence and male anatomy, rather than a single unisex option, means better support for all.
Young men, and young adults in general, can be particularly vulnerable when it comes to incontinence and other bowel issues. As incontinence rates rise across the generations, it is important to improve the experience for young men with continence issues and help them normalise their condition.
Global Incontinence for Young Adults
It is estimated that over 12.2 million young adults suffer from continence issues. However the continued stigma of the issue cause many to hide their symptoms and not access the help they need. Men are particularly vulnerable as there is less recognition of male continence problems. Surveys have shown that more than 50% of young adults would be uncomfortable discussing incontinence issues with relatives or friends and over two-thirds would be too embarrassed to see a doctor.
This issue is only compounded by a lack of early intervention avenues for young people, gaps in specialist services for children’s bladder and bowel issues, and a lack of specialist support during the transition from children to adult medical services. Further, healthcare staff often have little training in continence issues and have little awareness on the impact it has on young people.
Finally, over a quarter of young people believed that incontinence and bowel incontinence only affected the elderly. This lack of education and gaps in essential healthcare have created a wide-ranging impact on young adults, preventing them from accessing necessary medical intervention and creating a barrier in regard to social interactions. This is especially the case for young men.
Male Incontinence in General
While men are less likely to report continence problems – and the problems tend to be age related when the do – bowel and bladder issues affect men of all ages and at all stages of life. Further, male incontinence is often linked with prostate surgery, with 10-15% of men treated for prostate cancer experiencing persistent urinary incontinence. Studies show that many men used a mixture of devices and pads to meet their needs however there was an extreme lack of information and advice on how to use medical devices.
Incontinence Effects on Young Men
Research on continence issues in young men aged from 11-20 showed that the fear of embarrassment, bullying, stigma and lack of understanding meant that many went to great lengths to hide their bladder and bowel issues, leading to social isolation, distress, and leaving underlying conditions untreated.
The continued social perception that continence issues only affect young children, women and the elderly leads many young men to feel abnormal and misunderstood. Very few men ever tell friends and most admit that they hide it to some level and want few people, if anyone, to know. Many young men are too embarrassed to discuss the issue with their parents, partner or with a healthcare professional – especially with their parents or guardian present.
Further, those who do confide in medical professionals often experience with a lack of continuity of care or poor understanding of the wider impact of continence problems in their lives. They also lack a sensitivity in regards to their issues, especially during hospital admissions, with no say in what products are being used or say in who is informed of their condition.
Normalising Incontinence for Young Men
It is important to normalise incontinence for young men by remembering:
- Young people do have continence problems
- Many young people feel uncomfortable discussing continence issues with parents, carers and health professionals
- Young people may not want their parents or guardians present during the entirety of a consultation
- Many young people are competent enough to make their own decisions regarding managing their health and hygiene needs
- Young men are vulnerable due to a lack of knowledge regarding male continence problems
- Many young men may not access the help available due to the continued social stigma
You might be surprised to learn that drinking water actually has its benefits – yes, even when managing incontinence. Encouraging the consumption of water does sound a little odd, so let’s spend a moment looking at how much water you should drink each day, and the benefits.
Benefits of drinking water
We’ve heard for years that we should be drinking around 2L of water each day, which works out to be around 8 glasses. First of all, we need to clarify this rule. Perhaps it should be:“The average person should consume 2L of water each day.”
The reason is because when you have a balanced diet, you will consume a fair amount of water without trying. Fruit and vegetables contain a lot of water, so an additional 8 glasses is overkill. With that in mind, experts encourage people to drink when they feel thirsty – there’s no need to force 2 litres of water down. After all, excess water won’t help with incontinence.
If you need help to drink more water, leave a water bottle on your desk – you’ll find yourself drinking without realising. Many people also find that flavouring water with lemon juice, for example, makes regular water seem less boring and more enjoyable.
Water replaces lost fluid
Every time you urinate or sweat, you lose precious water from your body – lose too much water and you will become dehydrated. You may notice that you are becoming dehydrated through a headache, the loss of energy and even darker, more concentrated urine. The more hydrated you are, the clearer your urine will be.Dehydration can irritate your bladder, meaning that you will feel the need to use the bathroom more frequently. As mentioned just above, the more dehydrated you are, the more concentrated, and potent, your urine will be. Many sufferers of incontinence prefer to avoid stronger smelling urine to avoid attracting unwanted attention, so it’s beneficial to stay hydrated.
Water cleanses your body
Another advantage of drinking a good amount of water is the fact that it helps to flush your body of toxins and bacteria. This will help your kidneys stay healthy and operate the way they should.
Replace caffeine and alcohol with water
Caffeine and alcohol can irritate the bladder in a similar way to being dehydrated, so, similar to what you have just read, cutting out or cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, and switching to water will help reduce the amount of trips you make to the toilet.
Avoid water before bed
While the production of urine slows down when you’re asleep, reducing water intake in the couple of hours before bed will limit the amount that you can lose during the night.There are many benefits of drinking water, even when suffering from incontinence. You’ll be able to manage your condition and live a normal life with a number of items from the great Holistic Incontinence range. Take a look at what’s available in our online store.
To find the right product, speak with your GP or a member of the friendly Holistic Incontinence team.
In this post, we will discuss the major causes of incontinence in expectant and new mothers.
1. A growing baby
As a foetus develops and grows in the womb, it will start to add pressure to various parts of the body. When the baby adds pressure directly to the bladder – no matter how full – urine has nowhere to go but out! Babies can become rather active in the womb, and a surprise kick or dance move to the bladder can cause even the smallest leak.
2. Stretched pelvic floor muscles
Your pelvic floor is vital in bladder control. The weaker your pelvic floor, more likely it is that you will lose control of your bladder; the stronger, the more control.As a baby grows in the womb, it will stretch all parts of the body – including the muscles that make up your pelvic floor. You could expect these muscles to get weaker as the weeks pass.
If you are planning to have a child, you might like to consider exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor, likewise during pregnancy, when it is safe to do mild exercise. It’s best to consult your doctor before starting.
3. A large baby
Following from the two earlier points, the larger the baby is, the more its size can affect your body. That’s not to say that women who give birth to a small baby will avoid incontinence entirely.
4. Giving birth
During a regular vaginal birth, as the baby passes through the birth canal, it can put extra pressure on (and damage) nerves, muscles and ligaments that control continence, such as the pelvic floor or the bladder sphincter.Tears can increase the chances of both bladder and bowel incontinence, while a cesarean birth may reduce the odds of incontinence, but it doesn’t guarantee that a new mother will avoid the condition.
5. Laughing
Laughing, sneezing and coughing at any stage of pregnancy and in the weeks or months after giving birth can result in small leaks due to the reasons outlined above. The condition may be remedied with time and exercise, however, there are many cases where a woman will suffer from some form of incontinence for life.
6. UTI
A urinary tract infection is a common cause of incontinence generally. We won’t go into much detail here, but if you feel like you may have a UTI, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor to clear it up as soon as possible.For more information regarding incontinence during pregnancy, or after giving birth, contact your healthcare professional. And for a range of products that can help you manage incontinence, take a look at the Holistic Incontinence range in the online store.
Don’t forget that we offer free samples, so you can be sure that a product is right for you.
Here’s how it’s possible to control and fight the odour of incontinence. 
Use the right product
Incontinence can be caused by a number of reasons like childbirth, prostate problems, and mobility issues. Just like how a condition differs between sufferers, the level of control also varies.At Holistic Incontinence, we offer an excellent range of incontinence products to help manage any kind of incontinence by locking away liquid and matter for longer periods. However, each product does have its limitations – pushing past those limits will see it becoming ineffective.
For example: A woman who notices a small leak just after sneezing can wear a pad with regular underwear. A pad would not be an effective solution for someone with little or no bladder control, as the amount of liquid would saturate the pad and leak. In this case, a Pull Up or All In One would more appropriate. 
Choose a product with excellent design
Some companies prefer to cut corners in the development of their products. Every product in the Holistic Incontinence range has been designed with a specific task in mind, each feature working together for maximum absorption and odour control, whilst allowing you to life the lifestyle you want.- Super absorbent core: Locks away liquid as well as its odour. Our Pull-ups and All-In-Ones can hold up to between 800ml and 1L of liquid. The fight against odour doesn’t stop with the absorbent core. It continues with anti-leak guards.
- Anti-leak guards: In our range of pads, the guard around the perimeter of the pad is contoured to follow the curves of your body to avoid any leakage that may occur. This feature not only keeps in liquid, it helps to retain any smell.
- In products like our adult diaper varieties, it’s the waistband and elastic cupping in the groin and leg area that helps to secure solids, liquids and odour.
- High quality, breathable material: We’ve focused on the incontinence side, but we must not forget about your comfort. Some products can make you sweat. To avoid any smell that comes with sweating, our range is produced with breathable material, to allow your skin to breath.
As you now know, each item in the Holistic Incontinence range is excellent in helping to reduce any odour that may present itself as a result of incontinence. For more information on each product, visit the online store.
It’s also worth remembering that we offer a free trial service where you can sample a product before you commit to a cost-effective management solution – you can buy in bulk to reduce the cost of incontinence.
If you would like to know more, please feel free to get in touch with the friendly Holistic Incontinence staff through the chat feature available on this site.
Around 5 million Australians have trouble with controlling their bladder or bowel. In 2016, there were 3.7 million people aged 65+, with around just over 7% of them suffering severe incontinence.
While there is a heavy skew toward older Australians with urinary or faecal incontinence, correlation definitely does not equal causation.
First, let’s take a look at one of the most obvious questions.
Why do many older people suffer from incontinence?
As we get older, we are more likely to develop conditions ranging from arthritis to dementia.
- Arthritis can affect the hands of a sufferer. They might be about to make their way to the bathroom but have trouble unzipping or unbuttoning their pants, therefore experience loss of control.
- Decreased mobility is similar. A person might know that they need to make toilet but can’t reach the toilet in time.
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s can affect incontinence sufferers in a different way – they can simply forget that they need to go.
These three issues are commonly experienced by older people (remembering younger people can be diagnosed with them too), which is why you see an older skew. Around 1 in 4 people aged 85+ suffer heavy incontinence.
How can younger people develop incontinence?
Around 1 in 166 people under 65 in Australia suffer from severe incontinence. This might seem rare, but there are many more people who suffer from mild to moderate loss of control.- Childbirth is one cause of incontinence in women – many finding that they will lose control of their bladder (or bowel) when laughing or under some form of physical stress. Around 37% of Australian women suffer from urinary incontinence.
- Prostate issues can affect men of all ages and the treatment (or lack of) can see males urinate at unwanted times. Approximately 13% of men have trouble controlling their bladder.
- Weak pelvic floor muscles – they can be strengthened. Put simply, your pelvic floor muscles help you to hold on. If you’re trying to hold in a movement, these muscles will be vital!
- Psychological problems can occur at any age. We won’t dive too far into this as there are many causes, however, to summarise: Mood, medications, poor physical heath and lifestyle choices as a result of a mental illness can see someone become incontinent.
As you have just read, incontinence isn’t an older person condition. People of any age can develop mental health issues and arthritis, and young mothers everywhere can start to develop a loss of control at any stage.
Whatever your age, whatever your story, we have a product that can help with your condition. We offer very affordable products that are made even more cost effective when you buy in bulk, and, if you’re unsure which product is right for you, there’s a very handy sample option. See more in the Holistic Incontinence online store.
For more, feel free to contact or chat with us through the chat tab.
Sources:
www.aihw.gov.auwww.continence.org.au
At Holistic Incontinence, we pride ourselves on helping our customers manage their incontinence with the best products, designed with the latest technology for high performance time after time.
Here are six of the top incontinence products from Allusive.
Allusive Incontinence Pull Up Pants
Worn like regular underwear, Pull Up Pants are excellent for anyone with heavy urinary incontinence and moderate faecal movements. Elastic cupping around the groin area helps separate urine and faeces, while the super absorbent materials keep liquid and odour locked away for longer.
Pull Up Pants by Allusive are perfect for women and men who suffer from incontinence during the day and night – they are designed to lock away liquid whether the wearer is vertical, horizontal or sitting.
See more about Allusive Incontinence Pull Up Pants here.
Allusive Incontinence Slip Brief Diaper
Similar to Pull Up Pants, the main difference of a diaper is the sticky tabs on either side of the waist. These tabs make diapers more suitable for carers of sufferers of incontinence.
The super-absorbent materials allow Allusive Diapers to store up to 2L of liquid, and ideal for day and night use.
See more about Allusive Incontinence Slip Brief Diapers here.
Allusive Flexi Incontinence Pad
This is a very popular product for those who have a milder form of incontinence – say women who experience leakage when they cough, laugh or sneeze, or men who lose control intermittently due to prostate issues.
Pads are worn with regular underwear. The Allusive Flexi Pads are designed to work with the contours of your body to capture and help lock away any liquid.
Pads are very discreet and allow a user to continue living an active life.
See more about Allusive Flexi Incontinence Pads here.
Allusive Flexi Incontinence Pad Light
Similar to the pads above, except designed to capture a smaller amount of liquid – 350ml.
See more about Allusive Flexi Incontinence Light Pads here.
Allusive Incontinence Cotton Flex Underwear
Allusive Cotton Flex Underwear is different to regular underwear. While regular underwear can deteriorate and accumulate odour-causing bacteria, Allusive Cotton Flex Underwear is manufactured with high-quality cotton that can simply be thrown in the washing machine with your normal load. These factors alone mean that Allusive underwear will last longer than anything else.
See more about Allusive Cotton Flex Underwear here.
Allusive Incontinence Underpad
Many incontinence suffers love the peace of mind of knowing that their condition won’t damage their furniture. Simply place an underpad on a mattress or couch to soak up any urine before it reaches and damages the furniture.
See more about Allusive Underpad Range here.
If you would like to buy any of the products listed, visit the Holistic Incontinence online store. We also offer a sample service where you can trial a couple of products to see if they are right for you before you commit to a cost-effective bulk buy. See more about product trails here.
For more information about out Allusive range, please feel free to chat with us at Holistic Incontinence.
At Holistic Incontinence, we really enjoy knowing that we help people live
normal lives – in fact; some of our customers’ lives have become extraordinary
since being diagnosed with the condition.
Whether your day consists of sitting at a desk or standing on your feet; low
effort or high-pressure; or some light exercise or hours of high-intensity
training, our range of incontinence products will help you achieve everything
you set out to achieve.
When we’re asked if incontinence will affect someone’s day-to-day life, we say
“of course not”. That’s unless you allow your condition to take over your life.
Have the confidence to stay confident
From the moment you order one of our products, you can be sure that you’re in
safe hands. Our deliveries are discreet, so your family, friends and colleagues
won’t know what you have received unless you tell them.
The discreet nature of our products doesn’t stop at delivery. Our high-quality,
super absorbent material helps to keep even our most bulky-looking items
rather slim-fitting under clothes.
Then, as you start using our products, you will realise that they are so effective
in retaining urine and faecal matter, that you can keep living the life you want
without losing confidence in your incontinence product.
The right product will help you stay free
Choosing the correct product for your condition will allow you to live the life you
want for longer without restriction.
Pads are easily swapped out from your underwear in a quick toilet break, while
holding any leakages in the time between visits.
Our adult diapers can hold up to 1L of matter – that’s more than the capacity of
the average bladder - showing that someone with little or no bladder or bowel
control can continue to live the life they desire.
Finally, we have covered those active moments in live, but we need to touch
on the less active times.
Underpads can be used under bed sheets or on furniture like couches and
chairs to protect them from any leakages that may occur – especially during
the night if you toss and turn in your sleep. They are specially designed to keep
the user dry and comfortable at all times, meaning that you shouldn’t have
disrupted sleep due to loss of control.
Please don’t allow incontinence to take over your life – we love hearing how
our customers continue to live the life they always had, experience new things
and push themselves further than before.
With the right item from the Holistic Incontinence range, you’ll be able to keep
living a normal life.
For more information on each product, visit the online store. If you’re not 100%
on the product that’s best suited to you and your condition, keep in mind that
we offer a trial service where you can sample a product before you buy in bulk.
Our friendly staff are more than happy to assist you with any questions that you
may have. You can get in touch through the chat feature available on this site.
Let’s take a look at how our great range of products can help reduce skin irritation and problems, especially if you have sensitive skin.
We know that when excretions come in contact with the skin for a period of time, and often – very common if you suffer from any kind of incontinence – your skin can become itchy, inflamed and end up feeling very uncomfortable.
Regardless of whether your skin is sensitive, we stock incontinence products that will help reduce the time your skin is exposed to an irritant. Here’s a little more on how we can help.
Super Absorbent Products
Whether you’re looking for all-in-ones, pull ups or pads, each product is designed and made with high quality core materials that lock away liquid. This feature not only holds any moisture in to stop it from touching your skin, it also prevents any leakages onto clothing or furniture during the day or night.
Elastic Cupping
For sufferers of bowel incontinence, you will find that the elastic cupping through the groin area of all-in-ones and pull ups will help to avoid any movement of faeces into the groin area. It helps to improve hygiene while limiting the amount of skin that will be exposed to irritants.
Breathable materials
The waist in our all-in-ones and pull ups is made from comfortable material that encourages your skin to breathe. This feature helps to stop your skin from becoming sweaty and uncomfortable.
In our range of pads, the entire product is manufactured using high quality, breathable material, so you can continue to enjoy whatever lifestyle you live without discomfort caused by skin irritation.
Aloe wipes
Our Goldies Premium Adult Wet Wipes are moist and infused with soothing Aloe Vera to help with any clean ups, while staying gentle on the skin.
They are extra thick for maximum absorbency, unscented and silky soft for comfort if you are wiping an area again and again.
Hand wash
Anyone who suffers from any form of incontinence will understand the importance of hygiene. Some hand sanitisers can irritate the skin. If your skin is having a tough time with regular supermarket products, try our Hands First Sanitiser.
They are a few ways in which we help to look after people with both incontinence and sensitive skin.
If you have sensitive skin, or would like to look after your body’s largest organ, take a look at the great range of Holistic Incontinence products that are suited to people with sensitive skin in our online store.
You can also test each product to see if it’s right for you and your skin before you commit to a cost-effective bulk order. For more, contact us by talking to one of our friendly staff in online chat.
There are a number of reasons why you might suffer from incontinence. Many
women become incontinent after giving birth, while many men may become
incontinent as a result of prostate issues. Another cause is infection.
Leakage may occur when you sneeze, cough or laugh; you might find yourself
dribbling urine at times; you could even have trouble holding a movement in
while making your way to the bathroom.
Here are some exercises that may help your incontinence.
We can’t guarantee that these will improve your condition without
understanding your experience but we do hope they help.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Also known as “Kegal exercises” or “Kegals”.
The aim of “Kegals” is to strengthen your pelvic floor by squeezing, holding
and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are the ones that you
would use to try and stop a flow of urine when using the toilet and/or stop
yourself from passing wind. You will need to identify these muscles before
getting started.
How to do pelvic floor exercises:
- Sit or lie down.
- Relax your muscles, specifically your tummy, thigh and buttocks.
- Squeeze the muscles that you have identified. You should feel an
- internal ‘lift’.
- Hold it for a few seconds – aim for 10 seconds.
- Relax for a few seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
Remember: Don’t hold your breath. You shouldn’t be tightening
your buttocks, leg or stomach muscles.
Squats
As well as strengthening your legs, squats are great for your pelvic floor.
How to do squats:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Lower your bottom to the floor as if about to sit in a chair, until your
- thighs are parallel with the floor and your knees over your ankles.
- Stand up again, pushing your body up through your heels and feet
- to the starting position.
Lunges
Similar to squats, lunges will help improve the strength of your pelvic floor.
How to do squats:
- Start in a standing position.
- Take a medium to large step forward.
- Lower the knee of the back leg to the ground. Dip low but don’t
- touch the ground.
- Use both legs to return you to the starting position.
- Alternate legs.
Tip: You can speed up this exercise by ‘walking’, taking larger steps,
dipping your knee to the floor with each step.
Yoga
Yoga can do amazing things for your mind and body. It will help you feel
better while strengthening your whole body, including your pelvic floor. Take a
class and speak with your instructor beforehand - they’ll be more than happy to include a few positions to help.
The exercises above are designed to help strengthen your pelvic floor, and
may only be effective if your incontinence is a result of weak muscles. If you
find that your condition is getting worse, or if you find these exercises to be
ineffective, get in contact with your GP.
For a great range of incontinence products, take a look at the Holistic
Incontinence range in our online store. Every transaction and delivery is
discreet and you can test each product before you commit to a cost-effective
bulk order.
