Hi, little bit of an embarrassing subject for me, but here goes. I’m 24, male and live to play rugby. A few months back i had an injury to my private area during a rough game. Had alot of swelling and pain for the first few weeks. After this settled down, i started to leak after a wee. I go for a wee, leave the toilet and then seem to leak like my bladder isn’t emptied properly. Any ideas if this could be linked to my injury or not?
Hi,
Sorry to hear this, unwanted leaking can be scary and annoying to deal with, especially when you have an active lifestyle.
Have you ever experienced an overactive bladder before? If it is a recurring problem, it could be due to an underlying health issue. However, if this is your first time experiencing incontinence it is very likely to be due to your injury.
One of the main roles of the penis is to carry urine out of the body. It is likely that you have done damage to your perineum, the area between the anus and the scrotum, the external pouch of skin that holds the testicles. The nerves in the perineum carry signals from the bladder to the spinal cord and brain, telling the brain when the bladder is full. These nerves also carry signals from the brain to the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, telling those muscles to hold or release urine. As you mention you find your bladder is never emptied properly, it is likely this has caused Overflow Incontinence. Feel free to find more information about this condition in our blog about symptoms of Overflow Incontinence. Like any other type of incontinence, this can be managed easily with the right products and lifestyle changes, so you shouldn’t be worried about this.
Sudden damage to the perineum is called an acute injury rather than a chronic injury, and there are likely to be ways you can treat this injury, so don’t panic too much about this. Although it may seem embarrassing, it is vital to visit a Doctor and find out the degree of damage that has been done. They will also clarify whereabouts you have been injured. Your Doctor will recommend some treatment methods for the injury that are ideal for you.
Are your leaks heavy or quite light? I’d be happy to recommend a product for you to help you manage the leaks.
Yes, there are many small pads available that are specially designed to provide extra discretion. Shaped pads are designed to fit the female or male body shape and can be worn within the user’s own underwear.
Tena Men pads are specially designed for men and are a popular product for managing light incontinence. They also feature special odour control to keep you protected for up to 12 hours. The Level 1 Tena Men pads are the smallest pads designed for very light incontinence (200-300mls), whereas the Level 2 Tena Men pads have an absorbency of 450ml and are suitable if your leaks are light to moderate. You can view the Tena for Men Range here.
Do these sound like a product you’d be willing to try? Do not hesitate to ask if you need any more product recommendations.
The small shaped pads feature adhesive strips that can be fitted into normal underwear, keeping them in place. Yes, you can fit these into your boxers without the need of another product.
These differ from larger shaped pads, which need to be worn with very close fitting underwear or stretch pants. This is due to the pads being a bit bulkier.
Do you have a specific pad in mind?