Overactive bladder (OAB) is a real medical condition where the bladder muscle squeezes too often or uncontrollably. Symptoms of OAB can occur day and night and include:

• Frequent, sudden urge to urinate
• Going more than 8 times in 24 hours, which may include getting up at night
• Wetting or leaking accidents

Many people think that it’s natural to develop these symptoms as they get older, but OAB is a treatable medical condition in many cases. Talk to your doctor to see if treatment is right for you. You can discuss OAB with your family doctor, and internist, your gynecologist, a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant (PA), or a urologist or urogynecologist.

The National Associate for Continence (NAFC) has prepared this Bladder and Bowel Control Diagnostic Tool to help you determine and understand the type of incontinence your symptoms indicate. This web tool is not meant to substitute a diagnosis from a qualified healthcare provider and is not provided by Disposable Medical Express.

Begin the NAFC questionnaire

Incontinence (in-CONT-ti-nunce) is the loss of bladder or bowel control. A broad range of conditions and disorders can cause incontinence, including birth defects, pelvic surgery, injuries to the pelvic region or to the spinal cord, neurological diseases, multiple sclerosis, poliomyelitis, infection, and degenerative changes associated with aging. It can also occur as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. In itself, incontinence is not a disease - it is a symptom.

There are several basic types of urinary incontinence:

1. Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder, is the urgent need to urinate, often with the inability to get to a toilet in time. It occurs when nerve passages along the pathway from the bladder to the brain are damaged. Sudden bladder contractions occur that cannot be consciously controlled.
2. Stress incontinence occurs when pelvic muscles have been damaged, and the bladder leaks during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, or any body movement which puts pressure on the bladder.
3. Mixed incontinence occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge types of incontinence are present, and is very common.
4. Overflow incontinence is the leakage that occurs when the body produces more urine than the bladder can hold.
5. Fecal incontinence is the inability to control the passage or loss of gas, liquid and/or solid stool. This condition can vary from being partial, in which a person loses only a small amount of liquid waste, to complete, in which the entire solid bowel movement cannot be controlled.

Incontinence from surgery is a temporary condition that follows operations such as hysterectomies, caesarean sections, prostatectomies, lower intestinal surgery, or rectal surgery. Incontinence can also occur due to other reversible factors, often outside of the urinary tract, such as restricted mobility.

People who suffer from incontinence may feel their healthcare provider does not understand what they are going through, but it is very important to speak with your doctor if you’re having a problem with incontinence.

Finding high quality adult protective underwear can be a challenge. Local stores my carry poor quality, cheap adult diapers, or you may be uncomfortable buying these items at a drug store in person. Disposable Medical Express carries a huge selection of incontinence supplies, including adult protective underwear from only the best brand names, such as Tranquility and Tena at discount prices. Plus buying disposable adult diapers online through us ensures complete anonymity - we’ll ship your order directly to your home in discreet packaging.

Whether you prefer adult diapers and briefs, protective underwear, underpads and chux, or guards and shields, the quality and prices of our Tranquility incontinence products and Tena incontinence products will impress you. We also offer samples so you can find the incontinence products right for you.

Each year, 35-40% of older adults fall at least once. The best preventative measure is to take steps to improve bathroom safety to help avoid a fall, but you should also plan for a fall in the event that it occurs. Falling down is not just the result of getting older; it can be caused by a variety of circumstances.
Knowing how to help reduce injury, and to have a plan in place in advance when a fall occurs will help the older adult cope.

• Improve Your Body Balance with Exercise - lack of exercise leads to weakness in the body
• Increase Your Home’s Accessibility and Safety - install grab bars and shower and toilet safety products
• Watch Out for Medication Side Effects - many medicines can cause diziness or fatigue
• Have Vision Checked Regularly - have regular eye exams to keep eyeglass perscriptions current