Catheters Several Millennia Old and Still Helping People
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Urology is not a common word the average individual might hear. For those that do not know, urology is a study within the branch of medicine completely focused on the body’s urinary system in both males and females. The field of medical science concerns itself with health conditions involving male reproduction as well as male genitals.
To be more specific, if you are a patient that deals with problems in your bladder, kidneys, ureters, urethra, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles and prostate gland, then you will be visiting a urologist.
Trouble With Your Bladder?
Many individuals have problems with their bladder and have to resort to using a catheter. For those that do not know what a catheter is, a catheter is a hollow tube that is placed inside one’s bladder while the other end travels through the urethra often into a drainage bag. Folks will tell you it is indeed painful. Intermittent catheters get removed several times a day.
AN individual’s chance of urinary incontinence will increase and keep increasing as they age. Individuals that age from 65 to 69 experience a 14 percent increase towards urinary incontinence. By the time the individual in question reaches 85 and older, their urinary incontinence moves towards 45 percent.
A Long History of Helping
Arguably the most useful urological supplies has to be the catheter. If the the most useful of urological supplies, it must certainly be the oldest and widely used. In fact, urinary catheters have been draining bladders for well over 3500 years. Yes, you read that right. They are pushing four millennia old.
Taking Care of a Catheter
Catheters already cause discomfort and pain, especially intermittent catheters, so knowing how to care for it is invaluable.
First, a leg bag should be cleaned often, at least once a day. No less. If a doctor says to replace a leg bag, than it is time to replace those urological supplies. This can be as often as every two to four weeks. A leg bag should always be drained at least twice a day, when a leg bag starts to reach half is when it should be emptied.
Keeping a healthy regiment of cleaning and care of one’s own catheter will decrease the likelihood of experiencing a urinary tract infection.
