A lot of people make use of absorbent products to manage incontinence. Diapers are a well known product, but there is a wide range of products, and not everybody needs such a high protection.
Here, we try to introduce the other products available on the market that you may wish to try. Not everybody is alike, we have different types and degrees of incontinence. Lifestyles, preferences, capacity, cost, ease of use, durability and a lot of other things come into play when choosing what's appropriate for you.
While these products are useful for managing incontinence, you should still talk to your doctor. There are a lot of treatments available, and it very well may be possible to cure your incontinence. Don't just accept your problem, or think it's a normal part of aging. Talk to your doctor, there is help available!
Drip collectors or pouches are worn over the penis (a bit like a sock). It offers light protection and is held in place in your underwear by adhesive strips (or close fitting underwear if there are no adhesive strips). They are comfortable and very discrete.
These protections for men are primarily meant for light to moderate losses of urine. They are usually cup shaped (contoured), and it goes inside your normal underwear, held in place by an adhesive strip. They are very discrete, and usually have odor control.
Some companies make washable (reusable) absorbent underwear for men. They are also waterproof. Some may look and feel like normal underwear and even have a fly. There are some variations of this kind of product available.
This device is placed around the penis, and tightened to compress the urethra to prevent urine leakage. The Cunningham clamp is the most common type. The user must adhere to a voiding schedule, removing the device as to urinate. Prolonged compression can cause some problems. They are generally not very comfortable.
They resemble normal pantyliners, but they are made specifically for holding urine. They have a better capacity, absorb faster and have a waterproof backing. They have a very light capacity, but they are very thin and discrete.
Pads are more absorbent than pantyliners, and have a size closer to that of a maxi pad. They are normally available in different absorbencies, and offer from light to moderate protection. Just like pantyliners, they are held in your underwear by an adhesive strip. They are a bit bulkier, but they are still discrete. Most of those products are disposable, but you can also buy reusable (washable) ones. Some of the reusable products are used with a special brief.
You can get some normal looking "lady briefs" with an absorbent pad (some are part of the brief, some are interchangeable). There is also some vinyl lined (waterproof) underwear available that uses the same pad system.
It is a small and inflatable insert. The sterile device is inserted in the urethra and then inflated, creating a seal at the bladder neck, thus preventing urine leakage.
They are held in place by reusable (washable) elastic belts or straps on each side, attached to buttons on the garment or using velcro (or sometimes as a slip-on). They also have leg gathers. They are usually one-size-fits-all (unisize). They generally have medium absorbency. They are fairly discrete, comfortable, and well suited for active people.
The absorbant undergarment is almost identical to the belted ones. The main difference is that instead of being held in place by belts or straps, it is held in place by an adhesive strip in normal underwear.
Slips on like normal underwear and usually has a cloth like outer cover. It has more absorbency than most products, other than diapers. They are available in different sizes, and sometimes in different degrees of protection. They are very comfortable and offer moderate to high protection. Some companies make them in a "refastenable" type that you can slip on like normal underwear, but also tear open along perforations, and refasten at the sides (a bit like a diaper) with velcro bands. That way you can change it without having to step out of your pants and shoes, and can possibly enhance the fit.
These are a 2 part system. A mesh or knit pant and an absorbent insert that goes inside it. They generally cost less than diapers and have a moderate to high absorbency. The inserts or pads can be found in different levels of protection and different shapes (rectangular and anatomic are common ones). They are reusable and washable. The mesh pants can be washed about 20 times and can be bought in packs. The mesh design allows air to come in contact with the skin.
They are an absorbent pad that goes inside a diaper to enhance it's capacity to increase time between changes and prevent leaks.
Get more information about catheters, or diapers by reading our great primer!
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