Urinary incontinence is a common issue following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Men can experience different types of incontinence and various degrees of severity ranging from occasionally leaking a small amount of urine to frequent, heavy leakage. The most common type of incontinence after prostate surgery is stress incontinence, which is leakage of urine brought on by coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Radiation is more likely to cause frequent urges to urinate with episodes of leakage.
Why Is Urinary Incontinence So Common after Prostate Cancer Treatments?
Simply put, an enlarged prostate gland can obstruct the urethra, causing retention of urine or other problems related to bladder function. When the prostate is removed via surgery or destroyed by radiation, the way the bladder holds urine is disrupted and the result is often leakage. In addition, surgery may damage the nerves that help control the bladder.
Treatments for Urinary Incontinence after Prostate Cancer Treatment
There are several things you can do to try and improve symptoms of urinary incontinence. These include:
- Pelvic floor exercises. Kegel exercises aren’t just for women. They can also improve the ability to hold urine for men.
- Behaviour modification. Moderating fluid intake, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods, and even losing weight can help.
- Medication. There is a range of medication that can decrease urinary frequency and increase the capacity of the bladder.
- Electrical stimulation. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is a procedure that can strengthen and retrain urinary muscles.
- Surgery, devices, and injections. There are various techniques that help improve bladder function.
- Artificial sphincter. This is a device controlled by the patient that is made of three parts: a balloon that regulates pressure, a pump, and a cuff that prevents urine leakage. The artificial sphincter is known for a high level of success.
These aren’t all the options; talk to your doctor about what the best choice for you might be. In the meantime, you don’t have to let incontinence disrupt your daily life; there are plenty of incontinence supplies for men and women on the market. Also, be sure to take care of your skin properly to avoid irritation. Change incontinence promptly, and keep your skin clean and dry to keep it healthy.
Buying Incontinence Supplies for Men and Women
At Holistic Incontinence, we offer an array of incontinence supplies for women and men manufactured in the same warehouses as the leading brands. What that means for you is the same high quality without the high price. Our incontinence supplies for women and men include pull up pants, all-in-ones, pads, underpads, and skin care products.
In addition to our product offerings, we also place a heavy focus on customer education. Especially if you are new to incontinence (or new to caring for someone with incontinence), you may naturally have questions about the causes, possible treatments, or the different products available. We are happy to answer your questions and guide you in your decisions about which products are right for you; we also offer trial packs so that you can test out individual products before committing to a large order. Contact us today with any questions or comments!