Living Confidently with Incontinence

December 29, 2014

Although incontinence isn’t a diagnosis that many people are prepared for, living with incontinence doesn’t have to mean giving up everything you enjoy. With some smart changes, you can continue to function in much the same way that you did before.

In the Workplace

For many incontinence sufferers, workplace settings can be highly stressful. Coming to work prepared will help ease the anxiety.

• Wear black pants.Black hides spots and stains better than other fabric colors.
• Set a timer for going to the bathroom.Set your watch or an alarm on your smart phone to go off every 90 minutes, to take a bathroom break.
• Double void.In the restroom, after using the toilet once, sit back down and use it again.
• Keep extra clothes in your desk drawer.Knowing that you have a spare set of pants on hand will help you feel more confident throughout the day.
• Keep a clean-up kit in your desk drawer and in your car. The kit should include pads, wipes, and deodorizing spray.

Sex

Having incontinence doesn’t mean that you have to give up sex. Good communication and preparation will help you deal with complications created by incontinence.

• Go to the bathroom beforehand.Relieving your bladder before sex will protect against leaks during sex. For extra protection, double void.
• Talk to your partner.Honesty about incontinence is especially difficult for many adults; however, speaking with your partner about your concerns will help you both come up with ideas to help you avoid problems. This type of open discussion can also increase the intimacy between partners, and may reduce feelings of isolation incurred by incontinence.

Local Travel

These tips will help you get around town or visit nearby cities.

• Know where the bathrooms are. Memorize the locations of restrooms at your favorite restaurants and entertainment venues, and avoid those locations that do not give patrons easy access to restrooms.
• Buy a GPS device, or download a GPS app onto your smart phone.While on the road, GPS will tell you how far you are from all establishments that may have restrooms.
• Limit intake of liquids.Diet management can extend the length of time between bathroom breaks.

Air Travel

Many people with incontinence assume that air travel is simply impossible, however, these tips will help you arrive at your destination without issue.

• Book an aisle seat.Sitting in an aisle seat gives you easy access to the restroom.
• Go to the restroom at all opportunities.This is especially important because there are times during air travel when getting up to go to the restroom is not possible.
• Bring extra clothes and your clean-up kit in a carry on—even more than you think you need. Remember that luggage gets lost, so you’ll need enough to tide you over in the event that you’re stuck waiting for your bags to arrive.

And as always, be sure to get your incontinence panties and incontinence briefs for the ultimate incontinence comfort.

---