Streaming Health

Different people need to use intermittent catheters for different reasons. Some people are required to use a catheter when they are having a major operation done. The reason they need to use a catheter is so they do not have to attempt getting up from bed during recovery and making it to the toilet before they go. This can be painful and cause stitches to come apart and a number of unpleasant things. Another reason you might need to use a catheter is if you are having some type of medical problem going to the bathroom, such as your kidneys not working properly. If you are for some reason retaining water and not able to go to the bathroom, doctors might use a catheter to help you urinate and rid your body of waste products and bacteria.

Intermittent catheters are only designed for short term use. This means that when the flow of your urine stops, the catheter is usually removed. This is different from most other types of catheters, especially indwelling catheters. Indwelling catheters are designed to be used long term and are inserted through a person’s urethra up inside the bladder to help empty the contents of the bladder. Indwelling catheters can be very uncomfortable to insert and can put some individuals at risk of getting a UTI or urinary tract infection. Read more…

Those who have limited control of their bladder or who have a spinal cord injury use intermittent catheterization. Most people who have spinal cord problems have very little or absolutely no feeling from the waist down. That means that they don’t know when they have to void their bladder. To stop incontinence problems, a patient has to use a catheter to empty their bladder. Due to the fact it’s used frequently more than once a day, intermittent catheters have to be cleaned as well as sterilized so that it prevents urinary tract infections. These are serious infections that can be fatal if the infection gets into the blood. Below you will find out how to clean the catheters properly.

There are a lot of cleaning products that you can buy to kill germs. The first thing that you should do is to wipe down the area of the sink using a cleaning product that is going to kill the germs. Next you will dry the area using a clean washcloth or towel. Now, put a face towel that is clean on the area that you just cleaned, putting alcohol, a paper towel, and cotton balls on the towel. Read more…

If you are in a situation where you need to keep a supply of intermittent catheters, then the last thing you would want to do would be to let your supply run out. If you do not have your supply of catheters and you are dealing with a problem in which you need self-catheterization, then you will definitely be in a serious situation. Instead of allowing this to happen, all you need to do is keep your supply on hand by choosing the right supplier and ordering your supply in the right number. Here are the steps you need to take in order to keep up your supply of intermittent catheters.

1. Start by determining how many you need. You will need to base this on how often you will need to perform self-catheterization. Then, decide how long you will need these supplies. If this will just be temporary, you may need to order a smaller supply. Finally, determine how often that you want to order your intermittent catheters. This way, you can multiply how many you need daily by how often you want to order. This will give you a number of intermittent catheters you will need to order each time. Read more…