Adult diapers may be less well known than baby diapers. The benefits of adult diapers include being able to accommodate urine or feces in adults who are experiencing certain medical conditions so that it is difficult to control the function of urination and defecation.
Adult diapers are most often used to help someone who has difficulty holding in urination or defecation due to certain health conditions. This type of diaper can be a solution to keep activities running smoothly and free from worry because urine or feces contaminates clothes, bed linen, or other equipment.
Types of Urinary Disorders
Difficulty holding urine or urinary incontinence can make it difficult for sufferers to carry out daily activities. Some conditions that can increase the risk of urinary incontinence include advanced age, excess body weight, disorders of the nerves that regulate urinary function, and diabetes. Medical conditions that make it difficult to get to the toilet on time, such as a patient who is bedridden or in a wheelchair, can also cause urinary incontinence.
Some types of urinary disorders, namely:
- Urine comes out when sneezing, coughing, laughing, or lifting heavy weights.
- Frequent urge to urinate, including at night. This can occur due to medical disorders such as infections, neurological disorders, or diabetes.
- Passing urine without realizing it, because the bladder is not completely empty.
Difficulty holding urine can also occur temporarily, among others, when consuming drinks, foods, vitamins, or drugs that are diuretics. Diuretics means stimulating the formation of urine in the kidneys to reduce fluid circulating in the body. For example, tea, coffee, soda, citrus (citrus fruits), vitamin B or C in large doses, spicy or sour foods, and blood pressure-lowering drugs, heart medications, and tranquilizers.
People with dementia and fecal incontinence can also benefit from adult diapers. Especially for women, other factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, can increase the risk of difficulty holding urine.
Uses of Adult Diapers and Tips for Choosing Them
Adult diapers are specially designed to absorb leakage of urine, collect feces from soiling clothes, and protect the skin from urine seepage to keep it dry. The shape of adult diapers is generally the same as disposable baby diapers, only that the size is adjusted to the adult body. There are two types of adult diapers on the market:
- Pants diaperThe shape is in the form of pants that can be worn directly with an elastic band at the waist.
- Sticky diapersThis diaper model has adhesive on the side, so the installation can be adjusted according to the size of the hip.
In choosing adult diapers, adjust to your needs. For example, if the user can still stand, pants diapers can be an option because the way they are worn is like wearing ordinary underwear. But if the user can only lie down, use adhesive diapers, because they are easier to fit in this position.
Large, thick adult diapers can absorb more urine, but are more difficult to remove and less comfortable to wear. If the urine that comes out tends to be a little, choose a shape that is more tips and lighter. Avoid wearing adult diapers that are too tight as this prevents airflow and makes the diaper easy to moisten.
How to Wear Adult Diapers
For the use of adult diapers in the elderly or people who are unable to care for themselves (eg due to geriatric syndrome), there are several things to consider in helping to put on adult diapers. First, before using adult diapers, wash your hands and wear gloves to protect yourself from exposure to urine or feces.
After that, open the diaper while lifting the patient's hips, after the diaper is removed, roll the diaper and wrap it in a plastic bag so that dirt and urine do not contaminate the bed, then throw the diaper in the trash. Clean the patient's buttocks, lower abdomen, and groin from residual feces or urine, then apply moisturizer before putting on an adult diaper again. Don't forget to wash your hands after you're done putting on adult diapers.
In addition, also pay attention to the duration of use. Urine that stays on the skin for too long can disrupt the pH levels, making the skin more susceptible to fungal infections. As babies often experience diaper rash, adult diapers can also trigger the same thing. Therefore, change the diaper immediately if it is wet to prevent rashes from appearing.
Adult diapers can help the wearer avoid discomfort due to uncontrollable urination, so activities can continue to run smoothly. Use adult diapers as recommended to avoid diaper rash. If you feel you have a disease that causes urinary problems, consult a urologist to get the right treatment.
