Incontinence Products
What is Incontinence?
Incontinence, or the accidental loss of urine, is a problem that affects nearly 13 million Americans*. Incontinence in women can occur at any age, but it is more common in women over 50.
The Four Major Types of Urinary Incontinence
Stress Incontinence: This type of urine leakage occurs while coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, lifting heavy objects, or doing anything that puts pressure on the bladder.
Urgency or Urge Incontinence: Described as the inability to hold urine long enough to reach a restroom, urgency incontinence can be associated with more frequent urination. It may be an indication that a separate disease or condition is present. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are a common cause of frequent urination and are often easily treated. Always consult with a doctor to find out if there is a reason why you feel the need to urinate more frequently than usual.
Functional Incontinence: Urine leakage that is a result of an inability to reach a restroom in time because of a mobility issue is described as functional incontinence. This type of incontinence may happen because of an injury, arthritis, or any other condition that inhibits movement.
Overflow Incontinence: Overflow incontinence occurs when the volume of urine produced exceeds the bladder’s capacity to hold it, and it too can be a result of an underlying condition that you should discuss with your doctor.
How Is Incontinence Treated?
Incontinence can be treated in many different ways, including dietary changes, behavioral therapies, medicine regimens, pelvic muscle re-education, in-office procedures, and surgery.
A treatment plan should be determined only after consultation with your doctor. They will take your age, health, and medical history into consideration and discuss possible treatments based on your tolerance for different kinds of medications and the various therapies available.
Dietary Changes: Your doctor may recommend eliminating bladder irritants, such as alcohol, caffeine, and citrus fruits.
Behavioral Therapies: Common therapies include bladder training and toileting assistance. Bladder training techniques teach you how to resist the urge to urinate and gradually lengthen the duration between urinating. Toileting assistance uses schedules and habits to prompt you to urinate regularly, thus preventing leakage.
Medicine Regiments: Your doctor may prescribe anticholinergic medications. These work by blocking the action of acetylcholine, a type of neurotransmitter. Blocking acetylcholine inhibits involuntary muscle movements, and may be prescribed for overactive bladder and incontinence. Be sure to discuss the side effects, particularly for elderly patients. Vaginal estrogen may also be considered to help ease stress incontinence in particular.
Pelvic Muscle Re-education: A variety of methods to help improve muscle tone may be recommended to help prevent leakage, including Kegel exercises, vaginal weight training, biofeedback, and pelvic floor electrical stimulation. These techniques cause the muscles to contract and can help strengthen pelvic muscles.
Kegel Exercises: Many things can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, including pregnancy and childbirth, obesity, chronic straining or coughing, and aging. Kegel exercises can be done anywhere, anytime, and help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum.
In-Office Procedures: Botox injections into the bladder, urethral bulking agents, and peripheral nerve stimulation are all procedures that can usually be done in your doctor’s office and may help alleviate urinary incontinence in women.
Surgery: Bladder suspension, peripheral nerve stimulation, and slings are all surgeries that your doctor may consider depending on your age and overall health.
Which Products Should You Use?
To help manage incontinence day-to-day, many women wear protective pads, absorbent underwear, fitted briefs, or diapers, depending on their age, level of need, and mobility.
Top Recommendations
These are our favorite and recommended products, as researched by the Caring Village team.
Because Quality Bladder Protection for Women
Say goodbye to bladder leaks. Because Market’s super-absorbent incontinence underwear and pads absorb up to 6 cups of fluid, so you can live life at your best. Partnering with urologists at Stanford Medical Center, the team at Because have developed cutting-edge materials that make their highly absorbent bladder protection products feel like real fabric underwear. Designed with a super-absorbent core, Because underwear absorbs over 35% more liquid than leading brands. The soft, cotton-like fabric fits seamlessly and comfortably under pants or dresses. Double-stitching in the leg area provides exceptional leak protection and odor control. Visit their website to take their Perfect Fit quiz today!
Just’nCase by Confitex Washable Incontinence Underwear
Just’nCase by Confitex reusable absorbent underwear feature market-leading textile technology that has been independently proven to offer the best combination of absorbency capacity and leakproof performance without excess bulk.
DryDirect by Parentgiving
Ultimate Underwear’s Super absorbency equals less changes per day and less leaks – which is ideal for all caregivers, but especially family caregivers. This is the first incontinence underwear ParentGiving have put their brand on and the first one they confidently recommend ONLY 3 or 4 changes per day are required.
Nexwear Incontinence Products
Tell Your Bladder Who’s Boss with nexwear (formerly Lily Bird)! Get pads and disposable underwear delivered to your home so you can feel confident leaving it. Lily Bird’s products are softer, more comfortable and more absorbent than most drug store brands. Their high-quality, long-length pads come in 5 absorbency levels and are designed specifically for bladder leaks.
Tena Women Protective Underwear
Tena Women Protective Underwear provides a more discreet style of disposable underwear that’s designed to look and feel like regular underwear, with a snug, body-close fit for moderate to heavy incontinence. It is made of soft, cloth-like, cottony material and a soft, narrow comfort waistband that can be easily pulled on and off like regular underwear.
Prevail Protective Underwear for Women
Prevail Protective Underwear for Women provides discreet absorbent protection. It has a comfortable waist panel that gives a discreet fit and has soft leg gathers that ensure a comfortable fit and dryness. Most importantly, these are super absorbent, dry quickly, and lock away wetness and odor.
Depend Underwear for Women – Maximum Absorbency
Depend Underwear for Women’s maximum absorbency product is the heaviest protection available from Depend. Its breathable stretch panels gently contour to the body for a close comfortable fit. The cloth-like outer material is rustle-free underneath clothing and the absorbency protection is designed specifically for women.
Tranquility Premium OverNight™ Incontinence Underwear
Tranquility’s Premium OverNight™ Disposable Absorbent Underwear is the top-rated overnight underwear for adults. It offers superior protection to ensure a restful sleep. Premium OverNight™ Disposable Absorbent Underwear is available in a range of sizes from XS to 2XL. The absorbent Peach Mat Core provides maximum protection by locking away liquid resulting in dryness, urine pH neutralization, and odor reduction while protecting delicate and sensitive skin from the damaging effects of moisture.
LivDry Overnight Protective Underwear
LivDry’s Overnight Protective Underwear is designed for maximum comfort, ultimate protection, and bedtime-to-rise reassurance. Their proprietary super absorbent gel core quickly locks fluid away, reduces odor, and can handle night bladder incontinence. LivDry Adult Overnights have a soft, cloth-like, latex-free material with a stretch panel that contours to your body for a comfortable fit with leakage barrier leg cuffs and tear-away sides that allow for easy removal.
Attends Incontinence Care Breathable Briefs for Adults
Briefs made by Attends have breathable side panels and a soft inner liner that provides exceptional comfort. They also utilize a triple-tier moisture locking system that delivers superior performance and leakage protection while promoting skin wellness and managing odor. The soft and flexible Comfort Flex-Tabs fasten anywhere for a secure and tailored fit.
Wellness Absorbent Underwear
These award-winning pull-ons made by Unique Wellness are so innovative that they were featured on Discovery Channel’s How stuff works and are designed to last up to 8 hours using NASA inspired multi-layered InconTek® technology similar to designs used by astronauts in space for long missions.
Northshore Go-Supreme Underwear
A pull-on that’s different from the rest. GoSupreme™ from Northshore provides top-of-the-line comfort, absorbency, and fit while featuring extra coverage in the front, rear, and sides. Improved leg elastics will fit great for those with skinny legs while still remaining comfortable for others. Plus, silky-smooth feel against the skin; extra waist elastics; low-profile design for reduced bulk; breathable yet 100% waterproof!
Download Our Doctor's Visit Checklist
Taking care of an older loved one can be stressful and overwhelming. Let us help you get organized with our FREE, easy-to-use checklist.
This checklist will help you:
Adequately prepare for all of your doctor appointments
Know the right questions to ask to get the information you need
Know the right questions to ask to get the information you need