Incontinence pants are specially made pants to be worn by individuals suffering from urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is a condition characterized by involuntary urine flow, thus patients often feel wet and need to change underwear frequently. To avoid frequent underwear changes as well as to avoid leakage of urine, wearing incontinence pants is often the best solution. These incontinence pants are usually made for holding disposable or reusable pads, which can easily be changed when needed.
There are many kinds of incontinence pants and their purpose usually depends on the severity of urinary incontinence. Some are made to protect individuals with light or mild urinary incontinence. This kind is mostly similar to the commonly used comfortable underwear, only they can hold pads that can be changed from time to time. Incontinence undergarments, like the pads and pants may be bought together in one package or separately.
For individuals with severe urinary incontinence, there are also incontinence pants that are waterproof and are made from materials such as rubber, plastic, or nylon. These are usually worn over the other kinds of incontinence undergarments such as briefs and diapers. Most incontinence pants such as the waterproof ones, are made with extra room inside to allow a few layers of absorbent pads for greater protection. Some patients may opt to use only adult diapers as they are more convenient and less expensive. Many patients however, choose to use both adult diapers and the incontinence pants, because these offer the best protection for them.
Urinary incontinence is more common among women than men. Women usually develop incontinence during pregnancy due to the weight of the uterus as the pregnancy progresses. Childbirth may also cause weakness in the muscles that control urination. Men may develop incontinence due to prostate enlargement and infection. Other causes of incontinence in both men and women include the effects of growing older and the development of stone, cancer, and infection in the urinary tract.
To address incontinence problems in both men and women, doctors often advise wearing incontinence pants for protection against leakage. Incontinence often places an affected individual in a very disturbing and embarrassing situation. Most of them usually keep quiet about their incontinence problem, and they usually isolate themselves from society. With the advent of incontinence products, however, most of them are able to resume their normal routine as well as enjoy doing certain activities with others.