Urinary Incontinence Products

For some, urinary incontinence products are a temporary strategy, devices to tide them over until surgery for urinary incontinence can be done or medications take effect.

But for others -- including those who decline surgery or aren't candidates for surgery or medication -- urinary incontinence products become long-term options for relief.

Some urinary incontinence products are available over the Internet or in pharmacies without prescription; others require a doctor's prescription.

Here are some urinary incontinence products to consider:

Pads and Protective Garments for Urinary Incontinence

Pads and protective garments are among the least expensive urinary incontinence products. Panty liners, for instance, cost about 15 cents each, and are widely available in grocery and drug stores. Pads vary in absorbency so you can pick according to the extent of your incontinence.

Some pads have "odor control" features but fragrance-free is better, says Halina Zyczynski, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a specialist in female incontinence at the Magee-Womens Hospital there. The fragrance might cause the skin to become irritated. "If you get a rash, change products," she advises.

Also, "don't use toilet paper [in panties in lieu of panty liners or pads]," she warns. "It shreds and stays wet against the skin."

Adult diapers and plastic-coated underwear are also effective urinary incontinence products. They're available in drugstores and medical supply stores. Most are disposable, although some can be washed and reused.

Protective undergarment products for urinary incontinence are "more absorbent than they used to be," says Jennifer Anger, MD, MPH, assistant professor of urology at the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine and an attending physician at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, Calif. Typically, people "graduate" from panty liners to the bigger pads and then the adult diapers, she says. "As people leak more and more, they need a bigger pad," then perhaps the protective undergarments, she adds.

Protective bedding, such as a plastic mattress protector, is also a useful urinary incontinence product, says Anger.

Self-Training Devices for Urinary Incontinence

Pelvic muscle training devices, sold over the Internet for about $90, can help you strengthen and tone pelvic floor muscles, the root of the problem in stress incontinence. The pelvic training can also help with urge incontinence. One such device automatically adjusts to the user's pelvic muscle strength.

In a company-funded study of one device for urinary incontinence, 44 women completed the program over 16 weeks. At the end, 43% said they were dry and 36% reported at least 50% improvement in the number of leaks or urine voids daily.

Another urinary incontinence product is a kit of vaginal weights of various sizes, which you insert (usually over a cone) into the vagina to learn how to isolate the pelvic floor muscles while doing Kegel exercises. A set of five weights is about $60 and is available online and over the counter.