Why Adult Diapers are Safer and Better than Urinary Catheters

Seema Agarwal, a teacher at Subodh Public School in Jaipur, met with an accident last year while returning from work. She was under treatment in a hospital for two weeks. She regained consciousness after two days but had restricted mobility. It was difficult to visit the toilet without someone’s constant support, which turned into mild incontinence pretty quickly. The doctor suggested using female urinary catheters to temporarily manage her incontinence. When she spoke to us about her experience, she mentioned how painful and annoying it was. Even after complete recovery, she consulted her doctor about the pain she was feeling in her bladder, which turned out to be a Urinary Tract Infection. The doctor then prescribed medication and recommended diapers.

As she ended the conversation, she specifically said “The pain of using the urinary catheter was as intolerable at times, worse than the pain resulting from my injury.”

There are many cases such as Seema’s, where incontinence was wrongly treated with urinary catheters. 

There are other causes of incontinence like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, prostate surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, or a temporary health condition. Usually, when the root cause is treatable, incontinence lasts for a temporary amount of time and can be managed. However, in some cases, it worsens and turns out to be untreatable, leaving the patient with just one option, i.e. incontinence management. There are several kinds of products to manage urinary incontinence, including adult diapers and urinary catheters.

A Urinary catheter is basically a silicone penile sheath (re: pipe) that is placed inside the body of the patient in the form of a tube, in order to empty out the bladder and collect urine. Its external part is hidden underneath the person’s clothing. This option is usually recommended when the patient suffers from restricted mobility or is bedridden for a short time span. There are various types of urinary catheters, such as indwelling catheters, external catheters, and intermittent catheters. One can find several types of catheters for males as well as females. However, a silicone urinary catheter is the last option that a doctor prescribes to manage incontinence, due to several adverse effects of using catheters.

Effects of Using Catheters are as follows:

• Urinary Tract Infections
  Usually, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common types of catheter inflection and can be treated with antibiotics. However, it still affects your wellbeing to a considerable extent as long as it lasts, since it can be quite painful and psychologically unsettling. Since a urinary catheter is actually a tube, it allows bacteria to enter one’s body, which can lead to an infection in the bladder, urethra, or kidneys. Some symptoms of UTIs that result due to catheters include pain around your groin or in your stomach, high fever, and shivering due to a cold.
  
  

• Bladder Spasms
  Bladder spasms occur when the bladder muscles contract or tighten suddenly, and can cause a burning sensation and pain, often leading to an urge to urinate. They can be as painful as stomach cramps.
  
  

• Leakage around catheters
  This problem is associated with any type of indwelling catheter. It can be due to bladder spasms or can happen when one passes a stool. It is a sign that the catheter is obstructed. One more common problem associated with indwelling catheters is blood in the tube.
  
  

• Injury to any part of the urethra
  Catheters can injure a part of the urethra when inserted. This is also a common problem among Alzheimer’s patients, as they tend to pull it out due to agitation.

The ill effects of using catheters, as mentioned above, are the major reason why doctors prefer recommending adult diapers over catheters.

Thanks to the immediate and effective treatment she received, Seema’s health gradually improved in the course of a few days. Her body responded positively to the antibiotics and the infection started to subside. Finally, to prevent future infections and manage any residual effects of her accident and surgical procedure, the doctors advised Seema to use adult diapers instead of catheters.

Know More: How to Wear Adult Diapers: A Detailed Guide

But not every CAUTI case ends as a success story. Adult diapers are not only safe in the sense that they are worn in place over the patient’s body, but they also do not lead to UTIs, provided the patient or caretaker changes the diapers regularly and maintains proper hygiene. So, if you are a caretaker looking for an apt incontinence product to manage the patient’s incontinence, or as a patient with urinary incontinence, we suggest that you avoid using catheters and switch to or opt for adult diapers. They are safe, hygienic and help to manage incontinence perfectly well.

Here, at Friends Adult Diapers, you can find a variety of highly absorbent, high-end adult incontinence diapers. Explore our range of incontinence products here.