There are some unbelievable stories that float around concerning urinary incontinence. I like to term these stories, “Incontinence myths.” I’ll do my best to explain the difference between incontinence myths and true facts, as believing the myths can harm your ability to deal effectively with you urinary incontinence.

The first story I hear all the time is that people who have incontinence have small bladders.

Not true…that’s one of those incontinence myths. We’re all born with a normal sized bladder, which is the correct size for our body. Because you may urinate often, you may think your bladder is too small and therefore fills up quickly, resulting in the urge to urinate. Forget that logic…your bladder is not too small. The only exception to a normal sized bladder, which we are all born with, is if someone has had bladder surgery to purposely reduce the size of the bladder. But this is an anomaly. So forget about the small bladder syndrome…it’s a myth.

The second story I hear often is that to stop incontinence you need to cut back on drinking liquids. 

This theory also falls in the category of incontinence myths. If you suffer from incontinence you may be tempted to drink less, but this can make the urine more concentrated, aggravating the bladder and making it more active. The very best advice is to drink moderately in small amounts throughout the day rather than gulping large cups of liquid at one time. A good rule of thumb is if you’re thirsty or if your lips are dry, drink. If you’re not thirsty, don’t drink. Pretty simple. Get in the habit of sipping water between meals to get your liquid requirement for the day. Remember, drinking less liquid than your body requires can lead to dehydration. Truly a myth!

A good friend of mine honestly believed that incontinence affects only old people.

Again, this is another incontinence myth. Incontinence is actually very common. One in eight men experience incontinence at some point in their lives. Incontinence affects more people under the age of 53 than over. Incontinence is not a normal part of aging…and aging alone does not cause incontinence. Dispel this myth!

Another one of the many incontinence myths I hear all the time is that Kegal exercises only work for women.

Kegel exercises certainly work for men and are just as effective for men as they are for women. Regular Kegel exercises can prevent and, in some cases, even reverse incontinence. It is important that one learns how to do Kegel exercises correctly. Once learned, it is recommended that they be done on average three times each day. If you follow that exercise regimen, you should see improvement because you will be strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which keep the bladder from dropping.

The final and most upsetting myth I hear from people is that the only way to treat incontinence is to wear unsanitary diapers or dangerous condom catheters.

This is a major falsehood. I believe, as do the thousands of our satisfied customers, that the better solution is the Men’s Liberty.

Men’s Liberty is made from BioDerm’s proprietary medical adhesive, hydrocolloid, that creates a secure, skin friendly seal around the urinary opening to ensure that all urine caused by leakage is collected in a small pouch that hides discreetly in your pants. Simpler, better, and definitely safer than the alternatives.

BioDerm provides an excellent training program for application and use of the product. Another benefit is that Medicare helps pay for the Men’s Liberty external catheters; Medicare does not pay for diapers or absorbents that you purchase from your local drugstore.

Call our care team today at 1-800-814-3174. They are here to help you.