Managing Incontinence After A Stroke - May Is Stroke Awareness Month

Main Category: Stroke
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 28 May 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Approximately 800,000 people suffer a stroke in the United States each year, nearly three-quarters of which occur in people over 65 years old. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds.

Urinary incontinence is an incredibly common problem for people who have suffered a stroke, affecting 40 to 60 percent of the stroke population. While incontinence can be temporary for stroke survivors, 15 percent are still incontinent after one year. Many others suffer what is known as "functional incontinence" where the bladder functions normally, but a physical impairment prevents being able to reach a bathroom in time. Often, people with functional incontinence never meet with a urologist or have a bladder assessment, and are left to managing their bladder control alone.

Many people who are suddenly faced with incontinence resort to the most readily available management method: adult diapers. Though diapers are easily obtained and can be discretely purchased, they tend to cause additional complications and can actually lead to deteriorated health. Adult diapers trap moisture against the skin, leading to skin irritation and sores. Painful sores in the diaper region can be incredibly hard to heal, due to the persistent moisture, and often require expensive creams and powers to maintain skin integrity.

Thankfully, incontinence is often temporary for stroke survivors. Liberty can help men properly manage their incontinence while nursing their body back from a stroke, and can even be incorporated into a safe, bladder training program. For more information about how Liberty can reliably replace diapers, please visit BioDerm's new diaper information page. Click here.

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HIMSS