What are my alternatives to adult diapers ?

Let’s face facts: dealing with urinary incontinence (UI) or bladder leakage, adult diapers can determine whether you participate in life or sit on the sidelines. If you’ve needed to use them, you understand their role, but you’re exploring alternatives to avoid the experience!

How to choose an adult diaper alternative?

Most patients explore multiple treatment solutions and product options before finding the right one. With numerous incontinence products available, the goal is to find an alternative that offers optimal leakage control, comfort, convenience, and discretion. So, let’s delve into exploring the various solutions available to you.

Firstly, it’s essential to note that among the 3.3 million Canadians suffering from UI, two-thirds are female (2.2 million) and one-third (1.1 million) are male. UI falls into three main categories:

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI): leakage associated with exertion, sneezing, or coughing
Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI): leakage immediately preceded by or associated with a sudden urge to void
Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI): a combination of UUI and SUI
If you’re unsure which type you have based on these descriptions, consult your doctor. Healthcare professionals typically manage urinary incontinence using a stepwise approach, starting with behavior modifications and sometimes ending with surgery. This article covers various options, excluding surgery, which you should discuss with your doctor.

Behavior Modification as an Adult Diaper Alternative

Several behavior modifications can effectively manage UI, often in conjunction with other solutions. These modifications can serve as alternatives to adult diapers or complement them.

Manage your fluid intake: A bladder is like a balloon filled with water, with a rubber band (the urethral sphincter muscle) wrapped around its neck. Keeping fluid intake between 48 to 64 ounces per day (about six to eight 8-ounce glasses) spread throughout the day can help.

Limit caffeine intake: Caffeine increases urine production. Minimize or eliminate caffeine intake, or limit it to 8 ounces per day.

Train your bladder: If you urinate frequently, bladder training can help. Space out your voids gradually, aiming for three to four hours between urinations.

Pelvic Floor Exercises as an Adult Diaper Alternative

Most health professionals recommend pelvic floor exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles. During these exercises, known as Kegels, contract the pelvic floor muscles as if preventing gas from escaping, focusing on the back rather than the front.

When you Kegel, the muscles lift tissue under the urethra, helping keep it closed under bladder pressure. Practice timing these contractions before pressure hits the bladder, such as during inhaling before sneezing. It takes practice; aim for 30 Kegels daily, in sets of 10 (hold each for five to 10 seconds), three times a day.

Adult Pads, Briefs and Diapers

While you seek alternatives to adult diapers, they play a crucial role in managing male incontinence. Available in various styles resembling child diapers, underpants, or sanitary napkins, they contain leaks but may be uncomfortable, inconvenient, or embarrassing due to odor.

Penile clamps.
A penile clamp offers an alternative to adult diapers, placed halfway down the shaft to compress the urethra, preventing urine escape. Various types exist, effective for short-term use, though users cite discomfort, pinching, and potential issues with prolonged use.

External condom catheters.  
A condom catheter is a short-term solution for men, fitting over the penis with adhesive, straps, or foam, draining urine into a bag. Suitable for less active individuals due to its design.

Urethral Inserts like the Contino

Urethral inserts, like Contino, are non-surgical, self-administered medical devices that are inserted into the urethra to provide bladder leakage control allowing users to keep urine in the bladder vs against the skin in a diaper or pad and they don’t pinch like a clamp.  Some individuals find the notion of a penile insert intimidating however health professionals teach patients to use these devices and many compare learning similar to learning contact lenses….it takes a day or so to learn and then they become simple to use.  Click here to learn more about the Contino® urethral insert.

So there you have it! We have broken down a summary of each in a comparison chart below including the average monthly costs for each.  If you have more questions you can always book an appointment with Contino® support to learn more! 

¹ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/4-behavioral-changes-to-tame-urinary-incontinence-2019071017201