Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle Changes

Many products are now available that help patients avoid embarrassment and, in some cases, prevent leakage. With recent improvements in paper technology, pads are now thin enough to be worn undetected, and a spare can be hidden in a purse or pocket. Proper hygiene is also essential for patients with incontinence.

Hygiene Tips

Keeping Skin Clean. To avoid skin irritation and infection associated with incontinence, keep the area around the urethra clean. The following tips may be helpful:

• After a urinary accident, clean any affected areas right away.
• When bathing, use warm water and don't scrub forcefully; hot water and scrubbing can injure the skin.
• A number of cleansers are available that are specially created for incontinence and allow frequent cleansing without over-drying or causing irritation to the skin. Most do not have to be rinsed off; the area is simply wiped with a cloth.
• After bathing, a moisturizer plus a barrier cream should be applied. Barrier creams include petroleum jelly, zinc oxide, cocoa butter, kaolin, lanolin, or paraffin. These products are water repellent and protect the skin from urine.
• Anti-fungal creams that contain miconazole nitrate are used for yeast infections.

Preventing or Reducing Odor. Certain methods may help reduce odor from accidents. They include:

• Deodorizing tablets, such as Derifil, Nullo, Devrom, and Chlorofresh can be taken by mouth or used in appliances. Most contain chlorophyll.
• Taking an alfalfa pill four times a day may reduce odor, and is not believed to interfere with any other medications. Alfalfa is a common grass and some people with seasonal allergies may experience an allergic reaction. Talk to your doctor before taking any type of supplement.
• Drinking more water, not less, will also reduce odors. Drinking more water may actually help reduce leakage, too.
• To remove odors from mattresses, some experts recommend a solution of equal parts vinegar to water. Once the mattress has dried, baking soda can be applied on the stain, rubbed in, and then vacuumed off.