Leakage Barriers - Managing Urinary Incontinence: Bladder Conditions
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Leakage barriers
As an alternative to pads or collection devices, some men and women choose products that prevent urine from leaking out.
For men. Leakage barriers come in the form of clamps that you place around the base of the penis, tightening just enough to close off the urethra and prevent leakage. The devices are designed as an inflatable ring or a foam-lined metal or plastic frame. Every couple of hours, you loosen the clamp to urinate and keep pressure from building up. Whether a clamp works will depend on whether you can adjust it to prevent leakage and still remain comfortable. If you have damaged skin on the penis, are physically unable to loosen the clamp yourself, or have nerve damage that might make it difficult for you to judge the clamp's tightness, you could damage the penis and should choose another method. Penile clamps are available without a prescription (brand names include Bard Cunningham and Cook), but may be covered by Medicare or your private insurer if ordered through your physician.
For women. Urethral inserts (such as Femsoft) are single-use devices that are placed in the urethra to hold urine in. You place the lubricated, pliable device into your urethra, where it conforms to your shape and prevents urine from escaping. When you need to urinate, you grasp a tab that remains outside the body to remove the insert.
Few women use urethral inserts. A few use the devices as a regular method to manage stress or mixed incontinence, although such inserts should not be used round-the-clock. Others use inserts once or twice a week for special situations, such as maintaining continence during exercise or a social activity.
One drawback to urethral inserts is that they frequently lead to urinary tract infections. In one study, 10% of women developed a urinary tract infection during the first month of use, and over an average of 14 months, 30% of women developed a urinary tract infection. You are not a good candidate for this device if you are prone to urinary tract infections, cannot take antibiotics, have a constricted urethra, are taking anticoagulants, or have overflow or reflex incontinence. Medicare and many private insurers will cover the cost of urethral inserts.
Dribble reliefMany men, young and old, are troubled by the dribbling of urine after the main stream has stopped and the bladder feels empty. Even if they wait a moment and shake the penis before zipping up, there can be embarrassing wet or stained trousers. At highest risk: men with enlarged prostates. The medical term for this is post-micturition dribbling. It occurs when the muscles surrounding the urethra don't squeeze hard enough for it to empty completely, leaving a small pool of urine at a dip in the urethra behind the base of the penis. Within a few minutes, the urine dribbles out. Try these approaches to avoid wet and stained trousers:
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| Last updated: | September 05, 2008 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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