One in three women has Urinary Incontinence (UI), a disease that, although not life threatening, significantly affects the quality of life and self-esteem of women who have it. One of the most frequent types of UI is Stress Incontinence, which occurs when doing daily activities such as coughing, walking, running or laughing, putting additional abdominal pressure on the bladder.
Different treatments have been developed to treat or improve this disorder, ranging from muscle exercises, strengthening the pelvic floor, to surgery in the most severe cases. Stress UI, where leakage cannot be eliminated completely is controlled with absorbent systems such as pads, diapers and special slips.
However, there is an alternative option to the traditional pads that is more comfortable and gives patients more autonomy, which is not yet very well known: the vaginal tampon for incontinence.
The vaginal incontinence tampon is specially designed for women who have Stress Incontinence. It is an intravaginal mechanical device, similar to tampons for menstrual flow. It puts pressure on the urethra in order to control urinary leakage during physical stress such as walking or running.
These devices are placed in the same way as a menstrual tampon, with the difference being they must be wet beforehand to facilitate their insertion. In addition, they are reusable and come in various sizes. The type and size of the tampon should be indicated by a healthcare professional, so that it adapts correctly to women with different needs.
This device is not very well known by the majority of those affected by UI, and is frequently prescribed by the urogynecology area at Hospital Clínic. Specialised health professionals provide this product to women diagnosed with stress UI and advise them on how to use it correctly and how to adapt it for their daily use.
The objective of this device is to improve the quality of life of patients with stress UI. It is suitable for daily use and can lead to a positive change in patients’ lifestyles.
