About 25 million adult Americans, mostly women, suffer from urinary incontinence, which can be either temporary or chronic. There are several uses for catheters. Urinary retention, or not being able to empty your bladder, is the most typical cause.

Catheters are frequently required for older persons in long-term care institutions. The percentage of residents at long-term care facilities who use chronic urinary catheters ranges from 5 to 15%.

Although not everyone will use a catheter, you must know which kind to use if you or a loved one does. Although there are several possibilities, intermittent catheters are the best choice for the majority of patients.

The Benefits of Intermittent Catheterization
Individuals with voiding issues who can keep greater freedom and take care of themselves are frequently suited for long-term intermittent catheterization. The use of intermittent catheters can lead to the resolution of continence issues, a reduction in urinary tract issues, and an improvement in quality of life.

Since it has been used for more than 40 years, intermittent catheterization is regarded as the best method for treating urine retention. Given that they need to be changed several times per day, this might frighten some people. Let's have a look at the benefits of intermittent catheters:

Simple to Use
Many people choose to use a catheter that includes a urinary drainage bag since they don't have to change it out as frequently. Leg bags are difficult to manage, but replacing a catheter is quite easy, yet that is the reality.

While inserting and removing an intermittent catheter can seem difficult at first, it will become second nature after a few days. Additionally, depending on their age and other health conditions, the person may frequently handle it independently. Carers may typically aid if a person is not fully autonomous and needs further support.

Catheters Make an Active Lifestyle Possible
Intermittent catheters are ideal if someone wants to have an active lifestyle during this period because of how simple they are to use. Many tasks are considerably more difficult to complete while using leg packs and lengthy tubes. There are almost no restrictions on what you may do with an intermittent catheter.

That implies that a person may maintain their everyday routines while using a catheter by going to the gym. All of this enables an individual to preserve their independence, something only some people with incontinence can do.

Not That Pricey
People worry about costs when they learn that a medical item must be discarded after each use. Fortunately, the low cost of intermittent catheters is one of their most noticeable advantages.

Useful & Safe
The safest alternatives for preventing problematic infections are intermittent catheters; however, no one would argue that any sort of catheter is hazardous. This is due to the likelihood of a urinary tract infection rising as a result of other catheters' prolonged insertion times.

Intermittent ones won't be around for long enough to spread an illness because they continually need to be changed. You won't need to worry as long as you fully wash your hands before insertion.

Urinary Issues with Old Age
The probability of suffering acute urine retention rises with age among older men, who tend to have it more frequently. Acute urinary retention affects one in ten men over 70 and almost one in three men in their 80s over the course of five years.

Conclusion
Acute urine retention is far less typical in women, though. About three out of every 100,000 women experience acute urinary retention each year. Children seldom have acute urine retention. Women are far more likely than males to experience urinary incontinence and UTIs, although they require fewer catheters.

Urinary troubles can get more complicated as people age, in both men and women. Urination and retaining their bladders are frequent issues that get worse with time for those who need long-term healthcare.