Pads for Men: The Truth Behind Incontinence in Men
Playing a round of golf, going for a jog, and hitting a couple of tennis balls are among the finer things in life. But they’re definitely a lot more fun when you’re able to keep in your pee the whole time. Loss of bladder control, or incontinence, can completely shake up a fun activity.
Incontinence in men is much more common than you might think, and the good news is that there are solutions to the problem. Here’s the truth about incontinence and incontinence products for men.
How Common Is Incontinence in Men?
It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world with a few drips and dribbles in your underpants now and then. But this is mostly because people don’t like talking about urinary incontinence.
We get it, but the topic doesn’t need to be something to be ashamed of. After all, over 25 million adult Americans experience temporary or chronic incontinence. That’s double the population of the state of Pennsylvania.
With that in mind, it is more common in women than in men. This is to say that when you start googling incontinence or incontinence pads, you will likely see solutions aimed at women. This doesn’t mean there aren’t solutions for you — you just need to know where to look.
When To Worry About Incontinence
Incontinence is common as you age. If you experience just a few drips and dribbles here and there, especially during strenuous activity, you might not need to see a professional.
However, if your urine loss affects your daily life or fluid loss is severe, it might be time to see a doctor to ensure there isn’t a serious underlying condition affecting you.
Are There Incontinence Products for Men?
There absolutely are, and they’re a bit different from the ones you’d see for a woman. Incontinence pads for women are flat, absorbent pads that adhere to the inside of panties or underwear. Keyword: flat.
When you think about what’s going on down there where the sun don’t shine, there’s nothing flat about it. Your penis needs something that will be form-fitting and well-rounded (pun intended).
Male incontinence products like MDP are more like a sleeve that goes over your penis rather than a flat pad. Not only does this help with comfort throughout the day, but it also allows you to ensure that your product never moves around or misses a drop.
MDP uses a proprietary two-strap design that can fit a penis of pretty much any shape and size. You can adjust the straps throughout the day too, so if it ever feels like it’s just not fitting perfectly, you can fix it on your own time.
When choosing an incontinence product, consider comfort, capacity, and size. MDP can absorb up to two ounces of incontinence (about the size of a shot glass). So this is perfect for slight incontinence, but if you need a bit more support, plenty of more durable male products are out there for you to use.
How Do I Alleviate Incontinence?
If you want to get to a point where you don’t even need a pad or a product to absorb your urine loss in the first place, then there are some solutions.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Your pelvic floor muscles are those located between the tailbone and the pubic bone within the pelvis. They support the bowel and bladder — so when your pelvic floor muscles are weak, it can cause your bladder to release urine without you even realizing it.
Just like exercising your chest and triceps, you can make your pelvic floor stronger through simple daily exercises. Just take 15 minutes a day to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds at a time. This will help you gain more control of your bladder, reducing incontinence.
Chat with your doctor first to ensure pelvic floor exercises are for you.
Stop Smoking
It’s not news that smoking can lead to oral and lung cancer. But did you know that it also might be the reason you’re leaking a little more often?
Smoking can make you cough quite a bit, and this can cause your bladder muscles to relax and expel more urine than usual. We’re not saying you need to completely give up your Saturday night cigars, but cutting back on your smoking quantity can have immense benefits when it comes to incontinence.
Cut Back on Caffeine
Caffeine can affect how your bladder functions, especially in coffee. So you want to try to limit your caffeine intake as much as you can. Swap out that second cup of joe for a decaffeinated brew, or switch out those energy drinks for some fizzy water instead.
Drink More
It might seem counterintuitive to drink more water when you’re trying to pee less, but this is a mistake that a lot of people with incontinence make. Drinking less water can actually make incontinence worse because it lowers your bladder capacity.
Stay hydrated and drink between six and eight glasses of water a day to keep your bladder healthy and reduce leaks.
In Conclusion
Incontinence in men is much more common than you might think, even though it affects women more prominently. And while that also means there are more incontinence products on the market for women, there are still options for men that can help you find relief.
MDP is on a mission to get men back to what they love doing the most without needing to worry about loss of bladder control. Gain confidence in your incontinence and give our revolutionary product a try today.
Sources:
Urinary Incontinence in Women | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Urinary incontinence - Diagnosis and treatment | The Mayo Clinic