Medical science and its tools have made life considerably easy for us yet we tend to not understand this till the last minute. In the meantime, we suffer in silence or aloud and curse the day we contracted the disease. I don’t see how this can alleviate anyone’s pain but that’s how we are!
For example, a person down with incontinence issues continues to stay down till he wakes up to the reality that catheters can make life much easy and livable. In the meantime, he lives in abject dread of the condition and what it is doing to his life. Catheters do take some getting used to but once this happens, life goes back to being normal for a person. Therefore, this fear of catheter is only present till the person actually starts using it. And finds out that using a catheter is not exactly like having tubes sticking out of the body!
The catheters available in the market today do not require major lifestyle changes. They are designed in such a manner that a user can move around freely, go to work, socialize and lead a normal, routine life.
This catheter is a thin, sterile tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel with as little trauma as possible. You can either opt for a soft catheter or a hard one. The soft one is thinner and flexible while the hard catheter is larger and more solid. The choice of catheter will depend on your requirement.
Health Products For You has a wide-ranging variety of catheters which are classified based on the sizes, types and brands, and both latex and latex free.
Foley catheters is quite common among users and has both short- and long-term use. It is held inside the bladder with the help of a balloon at the end filled with sterile water. This catheter was designed by Dr Frederick Foley in 1930s and thus, named after him. If you are asked by your healthcare adviser to use this, you may ask him to help you select the sub-type – coude tip, council tip or 3-way.
The condom catheter is a simple device for the control and treatment of urinary incontinence in males. This does not require putting a catheter into the urethra. It is a condom-like device and placed over the penis. Urine is drained through a tube that is connected to a bag.
Different brands of this catheter type are found on this site, with each product being unique in its properties.
If you have been advised to be fitted with an indwelling Foley catheter then you will also require a drainage bag to collect the urine. You might need a leg bag for the day and a down drain bag for the night. The first is a smaller drainage device that is attached to the leg and fits in discreetly under the skirt or pants. You can walk around without anyone noticing the leg bag. The other is a large device for the night, usually hung on the bed or placed on the floor.
As far as drainage bags go, you will be spoilt for choice. There are many types available on this site and you can pick the one that promises to make you most comfortable. On HPfy site you will find a wide variety - ranging from bags with push-pull drain valves and infection control ones to T-tap leg bags.
If your doctor thinks you need a suprapubic catheter, don’t be wary of that. It is just another indwelling catheter but one which is placed directly into the bladder through the abdomen, above the pubic bone. This may be done through surgery or office procedure.
Once you have decided the type of catheter you are going to settle for, you may now ask your doctor to advice you on the kind you should use. Should you go for latex, silicon, Teflon? Do you need a straight catheter or a coude tip one?
Once fitted with the right products, life will be normal once again. However what you must keep in mind is giving priority to hygiene and sterility of the products and process of catheterization.