Modern disposable shields and pads for men.

There's increasing advertising on television for incontinence products for men.  Most of this features mainstream brands where they are both educating the market and trying to get a beachhead ahead of others. 

We of course love the education going on because better understanding of men's bladder leakage will help men take more control of the issue.  The main thing is for men to understand that bladder leakage is normal as we age. If you are over, then expect to have a gradual weakening of your bladder closing mechanism and subsequent drips and small flows.

Take control early by getting accustomed to wearing an absorbent shield in your underpants and if the flow is greater - use a pad.  These are purpose-designed for the male anatomy - obviously quite different to women's products.

I heard an interesting story the other day where a man had just had prostate surgery.  The nurse was giving him the normal post surgery instructions which included showing him that he should wear an absorption pad inside his undies until 'discharge' stopped.  To her slight amusement, he commented, "Oh I've often wondered what a tampax looks like." The nurse hid her chuckle and thought - ignorance is bliss. (Women 'insert' Tampax for menstruation control) Trouble is, there's hundreds of men out there who are just as ignorant of their health, their waterworks and general management of such things.

I was also somewhat surprised to hear that many men often refuse to wear these pads after an operation because they just don't want what they think is a 'woman's' gadget in the underpants.  Some even throw them away before they leave the hospital or medical centre where they have been fitted.  They soon find out why they are a good idea when they get a real mess inside their trousers.  Man-up guys - get to know how to deal with these personal health issues.

Purpose designed disposable shields and pads are available - specially designed for men. www.dryfella.co.nz Have a look. You may not need them now, but over time you will.  Be prepared and know when to adopt them for everyday use.

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nz

Shields are good for air travel

An 'ATTENDS' shield will give you great peace of mind when you are 'up there.'

Wearing a shield also lowers your stress when the crew announces the plane is coming in to land and all services are closed down until after landing. 

It just seems your brain says to you, "Oh by the way, I feel like going to the toilet about now."  It seems to take ions for the plane to get down, taxi to the terminal and everyone gets off so you can race to the first toilet available. 

I have found that by tucking a shield in my undies the thought doesn't arrive and on the odd occasion when it does, I just say to myself, "Hold on mate." And the thought fades away.  I would not be game to let it all flow - that may be pretty risky when there's really no need. 

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nz

www.dryfella.co.nz 

Talks at Rotary and Lions Clubs etc

Yes, I would be happy to be invited to talk at your club.  We live in Auckland, so anywhere in greater Auckland is ok.  Elsewhere, it will depend on travel arrangements etc. 

We travel around the North Island a bit and I want to make a trip to Christchurch some time, so who knows, we may be able to arrange some coordination. 

My talk is about getting into eCommerce, setting up dryfella.co.nz and showing the products.  I'm not a doctor, so I do not get into the heavier medical side of things. The purpose is mostly to educate men on the products available and how the products work.  If anyone needs the products - they will know! And as you know by now, if they are aged over 60 - most men either need the products or soon will. Better to be knowledgeable than ignorant.

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nz

What to do with used shields and pads

DON'T put them down the toilet. 

There's a strong possibility these pads will block the drain. Put the used pad in a plastic bag; wrap it up in paper and dispose of it in a rubbish bin.

You may have seen disposal systems in unisex toilets where special containers are put there for women to dispose of sanitary pads.  On rare occasions you may see one of these containers in a men's toilet - but it is very rare. 

So here's a thing, how about we all put some effort into getting these disposal systems into men's public toilets and progressively into 'work' toilets.  One way to get the process moving would be to have men put used pads down the toilet and jam the drain.  That would get some action.  But it would also be irresponsible.  Rather, lets take the lead and ask councils and employers to 'do the right thing' and provide these disposal containers in men's toilets.

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nz

www.dryfella.co.nz 

Men's special purpose underwear.

One of the problems men face is finding suitable under pants to hold the shields or pads required to absorb their bladder leakage. 

Most normal underwear doesn't fit firmly enough for safety.  And boxers or any loose fitting underwear just don't work. Fortunately there are purpose designed under pants made for the job. 

There are two types of purpose designed underpants - fine cotton weave and net.  The fine cotton weave in white, [Molipants]are in a short leg style like boxers but they fit really firmly to your torso.  Whereas the net style [AbriFlex] are a similar design,but have a more open weave.

Either style are fine.  It would pay to try them both to find what suits you best. Have a look at these two examples at dryfella.co.nz

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nzinfo@dryfella.co.nz

Limited supply of samples

We have managed to negotiate a limited supply of free samples.  Trouble is, most men have specific issues and a particular sample product may be completely hopeless for their situation. For this reason, we do ask people to send an enquiry through the ContactUs page on our website www.dryfella.co.nz and provide some brief details of their situation.  This way we can try to send a sample that is worthwhile trying out.

We stock over 50 variations in our product catalogue from shields to pads and underpants and from size S to XXL. Because single unit samples have such limited value, we have assembled Starter Packs.  We have FOUR in our range and they are supplied according to the size requested. 

Each Starter Pack has a purpose-selected range of products so the customer can try out a range of products in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Normally customers can only purchase a bulk pack from a very limited range of products. dryfella.co.nz has solved that problem by providing the range of Starter Packs. Starter Packs cost $29 plus handling and freight.

Once the customer knows what suits them best, they can buy regular supplies with confidence. Regular orders over $90 have free handling and freight. 

The dryfellas

info@dryfella.co.nz

Penile dribbling

I found this excellent article the other day.  I think it is worthwhile reading for all men who are experiencing slight dribbling after finishing a pee. I think these two doctors [Kevin Pranikoff and Richard Macchia - see references below] have provided an excellent summary. After all, you can't stop the aging process so you will experience this sooner or later if you are over 50 years of age and certainly if you have ticked over 60.

Unfortunately, some men do dribble a little - a little urine, that is. But they shouldn't worry. If it's not more than a few drops, it usually isn't a sign of a serious health problem. And it's often easy to correct. [While it's not a problem - wearing a shield such as the ATTENDS model - avoids these dribbles being uncomfortable and possibly smelly]

Before we proceed, let's define what dribbling isn't. We're not talking about incontinence, the outright inability to control your bladder. By dribbling, we mean that little extra urine that almost inevitably seems to trickle out after you have deliberately tried to stop the flow or those little wet spots you unexpectedly feel in your underwear.

A couple of built-in obstacles interfere with the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra and out of the body. In men, urine has a tendency to pool in the bulbus urethra, the widest part of the urethra near the base of the penis.

Poor form can compound the natural obstacles, men constrict the flow of urine when they expose their penises over the top of their pants or underwear instead of through their fly.

But even with exquisite urinary etiquette, if you have lax pelvic floor muscles, you'll be at a disadvantage in trying to internally clamp off the urethra and halt the flow of urine. If the muscle weakening is minor, you'll probably dribble a bit. Should the weakening continue and urinary control become more difficult and less successful, you may be on your way to developing a form of incontinence.

'If the cause is weak muscles, dribbling is sort of an intermediary step between full control and incontinence,'

Aging is a prime cause of muscular weakening. Men have a slight advantage in this regard thanks to prostates. The prostate gland, which surrounds the urethra below the bladder like a doughnut, grows as a man ages. If the enlargement is otherwise benign and not great enough to cause a significant obstruction, the prostate squeezes on the urethra only lightly, compensating for any loss in pelvic muscle tone that could lead to leaking.

All men should know that an inflammation of the gland, called prostatitis, can produce a discharge that could be mistaken for dribbling, It'll also cause a tingling sensation upon urination and a frequent need to go to the bathroom. The bacterial infection that results in prostatitis can hit men at any age, but younger men are especially prone to the problem.

Symptom Relief

Ending wet spots could be as simple as learning better bathroom form or strengthening the muscles in your pelvis, say urologists.

Try these tips before seeing your doctor.

1. Nudge out what's left. 'Men should learn to milk their urethra,' First, urinate through your fly, not over the top of your pants or that constrictive elastic band around the top of your shorts. When finished, with one hand apply some gentle pressure behind the scrotum to coax out any remaining urine from the bulbus urethra.

2. Give it a squeeze. Kegel exercises can help you strengthen the muscles in the pelvis and gain better control, even if you do have an enlarged prostate. And they're simple to do. The muscles you want to strengthen are the ones you use to start and stop the flow of urine. Squeeze and slowly release those muscles several times. Urologists recommend that you practise this action until you can contract those muscles 50 times in a row several times a day.

3. My addition to this article. Do the above, but also:

a) Use a cubicle in public toilets so you have some privacy to 'nudge the last drips out' and use a small piece of toilet tissue to wipe the end of your penis.

b) Buy a box of shields - see the ATTENDS 1 product - so you can have additional security and comfort that if a small amount does discharge, it will be absorbed and deodorized by the shield.

The dryfellas. 

info@dryfella.co.nz

Source(s):

Kevin Pranikoff, M.D., associate professor of urology at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Richard J. Macchia, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

More Education on Incontinence in Men

 About 25 million Americans have urinary incontinence - that's about 8%. It's estimated that three-fourths are women, that leaves more than five million men with bladder problems. Assuming the same ratios work for New Zealand, that's 90,000 men. (Pop 4.4mil - 8% with incontinence - then 25% men) Are you in the New Zealand male statistic?  If you are aged over 60, it's highly likely you are or soon will be. Men can have incontinence due to an enlarged prostate or prostate surgery, but other causes may play a role too.


It's more than a few drips.
Most men have mild post-void (after toilet) drips, hence the oft-quoted, "No matter how much you shake and dance, the last two drops get on your pants." But frequent, excess leakage after urination is not normal. If it makes you uncomfortable, shows through your clothes or causes skin irritation, it's a form of incontinence -- and it could be a symptom of a more serious problem.

Incontinence is not uncommon.
Between 2 percent and 15 percent of men ages 15 to 64, and 5 percent to 15 percent of men over 60 who live at home (as opposed to a nursing home), have incontinence.

If patients have stress incontinence and have not had prostate surgery, another condition -- such as a neurological disorder, spinal injury or diabetes -- may be to blame.


Body changes as we age can be a problem.
As you age, the muscles that control bladder function start to lose strength, and weight gain can put extra pressure on the bladder. Cigarette smoking, heavy drinking and diabetes also increase a man's risk of bladder problems.


Prostate issues are a major factor.
Most men experience prostate enlargement with age. It can block the urethra and cause overflow incontinence, which is the leakage of a small amount of urine, or difficulty urinating. 


Purpose-designed male products work.
Manufactures of adult absorbent products have at last recognized that the male anatomy is different from female. Dryfella stocks a wide range of options from MoliCare, Abri-Man and Attends. All are top quality products.


Fluid intake matters.
Watching your fluid intake could help improve your incontinence symptoms, even without medication or surgery.

Sometimes men drink full six-packs of beer, and if your resistance is already low, then that's going to cause a problem. If you make more urine, you stress the system. Limiting alcohol in general, as well as caffeine and carbonated beverages, can help. Staying hydrated and drinking water when you're thirsty is always healthy, but there's no need to aim for a certain number of glasses a day.


Skin problems shouldn't be ignored.
Chronic leakage and post-void 'after-dribble' tends to cause skin irritation in men. Men have more problems with rashes and skin fungus, and often don't give enough attention to the perineal area around the scrotum. Moisturizers and barrier creams can keep skin from becoming too dry and inflamed. Men who use absorbent pads or products should change them every few hours to prevent infection.


Men have issues some women don't.
Men can face unique physical and emotional challenges with incontinence. Women are used to wearing pads several days of the month, whereas men are not socially attuned to wearing anything down there. Just the idea can be really embarrassing for them.


It may also be hard to avoid situations where leakage is common.

More men than women might have jobs that entail heavy lifting, for example, or friends might expect participation in sports like golf and tennis, which can put pressure on the bladder.

Older men have bladder leakage issues.

I was surprised to find that around 10% of men over 60 can experience bladder leakage and of course that percentage increases through the 60s and beyond to the stage where it's highly likely most men over 80 will have the condition.

But let's go back to the 60 plus group.  There's no firm statistics on the10% and of course there is the aside factor of men having urethral or prostate health issues.  Where surgery is required, generally related to urethral strictures, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) or prostate cancer, there is post surgery leakage and this can continue for quite a while.

Men often don't regard the bladder leakage problem at its onset.  All they notice is it gets slightly difficult to complete a void. (emptying of the urethra) - the canal down the penis from the bladder. What's happening is the opening in the bladder is not closing off firmly due to age weakening. These droplets or very small flows run down the urethra until the void is finally completed.  Trouble is, if they have put their penis back in their underpants before all that happens, they get wet splashes down their leg - and that can be quite a shock at first.  And, if they have any open skin on their leg the urine splash will sting a bit. Of course if they have eaten asparagus in the last couple of meals they are likely to have a smell in their pants.  All rather unpleasant. It should not be ignored.

Some of this bladder weakness is normal and can be easily managed by using a small discreet shield or pad - see these on our website www.dryfella.co.nz - but if you suspect a medical problem you should consult your doctor.  The point is it's important that men understand what's going on and take control accordingly.  There is no excuse for wetness, smells and infection simply because this quite normal part of the aging process is happening.  Ignorance and disregard are no excuse at all.

Don't leave it until a close family member or maybe a friend has to take you aside and suggest you have a problem because you have begun to smell.  Of course that happens because your pants start to smell.  Typically, underpants aren't changed often enough - these should be washed every day - and pants should be washed or dry-cleaning regularly too.  It's easier and healthier to where a shield or pad. 

The dryfellas 
info@dryfella.co.nz

Incomplete emptying can cause light bladder leakage in men!

To achieve more complete bladder emptying, a urinal is out of the question. Sitting on a toilet and encouraging the bladder to empty seems to help.  It also seems that if you go into a cubicle, the relative privacy of the environment can help make the visit complete.

The thing is, men have to be a little patient. Most light leakage occurs when men are in a hurry - and sadly - that seems to be often. Also, many men need to go again within minutes.  The trouble is men rush to the toilet and don't take their time to fully empty the urethra. 

For most men, if they take their time - or more like - if they don't rush their visit to the toilet - they won't suffer from the embarrassment of light bladder leakage.

Urine can simply collect in the widest part of your urethra and is not 'voided' completely. You can help with your hand by using gentle pressure behind your scrotum to force out any remaining urine.

You can also try exercise to strengthen the pelvic muscles. This can be done anywhere as you tense, hold and relax your pelvic muscles. However, this shouldn't be done too often because 'urine retention' is not recommended.

If you are suffering from light bladder leakage you should talk to your GP.  In the meantime, using one of the 'light leakage' shields available here will at least 'catch' the drips for you. Order a 'light' Trial Pack so you can try out a few solutions and decide whichsuits you best.

Website feedback.

At dryfella, we really don't expect a lot of feedback.  And certainly, we would never publish anything personal that hasn't been agreed in writing by the person concerned.  And, we will only ever sign off comments with initials.

---

But it's really nice when customer feedback says it all! Here's what our first customer in Australia had to say.

"Hi, I'm interested in your products and wondering if you could give me information on delivering to Australia. In particular Brisbane. Is there a minimum qty, delivery charges etc. Fantastic website. Simple, clear, easy to use and very informative on the products.

Thanks for the prompt reply.
I found all I needed to know on your webpage and placed an order.
Looking forward to it. I wish Aussie companies would design websites like yours.
I have been looking for years for detailed information on product and this is a no brainer site, brilliant."

Cheers,
GH

We're pretty happy about that.

Men have bladder leakage issues.

Around 10% of men over 60 can experience bladder leakage and of course that percentage increases through the 60s and beyond to the stage where it's highly likely most men over 70 will have the condition.

But let's go back to the 60 plus group.  There's no firm statistics on the 10% and of course there is the aside factor of men having urethral or prostate health issues.  Where surgery is required, generally related to urethral strictures, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) or prostate cancer, there will always be post surgery leakage and this can continue for quite a while.

Men often don't regard the leakage problem at its onset.  All they notice is it gets slightly difficult to complete a void. (emptying of the urethra) - the canal down the penis from the bladder. What's happening is the opening in the bladder is not closing off firmly due to age weakening. These droplets or very small flows run down the urethra until the void is finally completed.  Trouble is, if you have put your penis back in your underpants before all that happens, you can get wet splashes down your leg - and that can be quite a shock at first.  If you have any open skin on your leg the urine splash will sting a bit and if you have eaten asparagus in the last couple of meals you are likely to have a smell in your pants.  All rather unpleasant. It should not be ignored.

Some of this bladder weakness is normal and can be easily managed by using a small discrete shield or pad - see these on our website - but if you suspect a medical problem you should consult your doctor.  The point is, it's important that men understand what's going on and take control accordingly.  There is no excuse for wetness, smells and infection simply because this quite normal part of the aging process is happening.  Ignorance and disregard are no excuse at all.

Don't leave it until a close family member or maybe a friend has to take you aside and suggest you have a problem because you have begun to smell.  Of course that happens because your pants start to smell.  Typically, underpants aren't changed often enough - these should be washed every day - and pants should be washed or dry-cleaning regularly too.  It's cheaper, easier and healthier to where a shield or pad.

Beer drinkers pee a lot

 I went to the Moa Brewery 2013 Annual General Meeting where the poor financial results were washed down with some of the company's fine crafted beers. You may imagine, I surveyed the room for likely suspects for dryfella products and the majority were in the 'age group.'

 I got chatting to one fellow and after commiserations on Moa's performance I shared with him that my wife and I are having a go at eCommerce. He was fascinated and even more intrigued when I told him what we are selling. [See what we are up to at dryfella.co.nz]

Now what about this..... !

Welcome to the dryfella's blog.

We hope this blog will provide a platform to increase the flow of information around the subject of men's bladder leakage (MBL) sometimes known as light bladder leakage or(LBL). 

As many of you will know, we have set up an online store to supply products for this very inconvenient men's problem - view at www.dryfella.co.nz.  Our site only stocks men's products and we have so far sourced 50 variations.

Molipants are a hit.

We don't identify our enquirers or customers, but being able to read about some actual enquiries may be helpful for others' education.  Here's an interesting enquiry from a customer who had just bought a supply of Molipants.

Molipants are really comfortable and are specially designed for holding pads in place.  However, I know from this customer's original enquiry he is using them as standard underwear because he finds them so comfortable. (They are washable.)

Travelling checklist

The Australian Continence Society has put together this excellent travel checklist.  It's worth taking note of well before you depart on a trip. We thank them for compiling this very useful information.

Travel can be one of the joys of life - and sometimes a necessity - but if you are coping with a bladder control problem or soiling, it can be an anxious time. Planning ahead will help prevent embarrassment and hassles and make your trip so much more enjoyable. Here's the checklist ....>

Things to pack when you travel

I've heard people talk about what you need to take when travelling overseas, but very often they preface their comments with, "Of course it depends on where you will be travelling."  Then they rattle off cautions for India, China and many other Asian countries.

Well I can tell you I have travelled in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and some Pacific islands, I've eaten an amazing variety of foods, but I have never had a dysentery attack like the one I experienced recently at Surfers Paradise, Queensland.

Who knows where it came from, the doctor had no idea. All I can tell you is I even passed liquid motions in my sleep. That was a first for me and I hope never again.  Now, what has this to do with dryfella?  Guess what?  I had to buy some pull ups from the nearby pharmacy and they were fantastic.  ..... >

Dealing With Urges

We don't identify our enquirers or customers, but being able to read about some actual enquiries may be helpful for others' education.  Here's an enquiry that may ring bells for you.

"Occasionally when I have a need to urinate about three or four seconds before I arrive at the WC there is a premature leak into my underpants. That's a worry when I'm out but less so at home. Is it perhaps psychosomatic as the urge often comes just as I start making espresso coffee."

ATTENDS could work quite well here.

There are a couple of things that I can comment on here. .... >

Abri-San Premium 3

We don't identify our enquirers or customers, but being able to read some actual enquiries may be helpful for others' education.  Here's an enquiry from a customer who could not find a product he had used before.

"Regarding abri-san air plus mini pads. I am looking to buy above - need by close of work Wednesday because I am going overseas."         ........>

Introduction ...

The dryfellas Blog

This is a new activity for us.  We've heard about Blogs, but have never had a reason to explore how to create one let alone get involved in posting to our own Blog.  But here we are.

The main purpose of this Blog is to open up discussion around a very sensitive subject for men - light bladder leakage - or the more serious - incontinence.  While the Blog will not be 100% on this subject,we certainly want to create a forum where we can share information on bladder leakage management and others can share their experience so men can open up a little in confidence. ..>