When a man lives with the burden of incontinence, his family and friends experience it with him — whether disposing of pads or dealing with his feelings of depression and social isolation.1 Understanding how incontinence affects his life will help you provide the support he needs.
Bladder leakage is a very difficult thing for any man to deal with. He is constantly distracted as he thinks about his next potential accident. As the caretaker, you’re often the first one to observe how incontinence negatively affects his life. If you are a partner, your shared intimacy may suffer. You may wish you could fix his bladder leakage so his normalcy could be restored. The key is to show him that you support him regardless of his struggles with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Fortunately, he does have options and with you as his advocate, you can conquer bladder leakage together.
Managing bladder problems at work can create additional stress and disrupt productivity. Incontinence may cause him to make frequent restroom visits and in turn, disrupt essential job activities. Trying to be discrete through multiple pad changes can also be challenging. He may fear that he smells like urine or that his co-workers have noticed his frequent bathroom trips. The good news is that he can regain a normal work routine and renew confidence by seeing a urologist specializing in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence.
Downtime with incontinence is not necessarily a break. With stress incontinence, he may feel embarrassed, isolate himself or limit his social life, especially exercise and leisure activities. He may give up some of his favorite pastimes due to fear of an accident. In your quest to spend time together, your activity level may also be impacted. If he ultimately pulls back and isolates himself, it may be time for more advanced treatment options. Once you seek treatment, the two of you will likely be able to manage his stress incontinence and improve his overall well-being.