Urinary Catheter – Properly Take Good Care Of It!
There are some potential complications with the use of a catheter that those using a catheter should be aware of. These include blood infections, urinary tract or kidney infections, kidney damage, bladder stones and allergy or sensitivity to latex. Some of these complications can be reduced by learning how to properly care for a catheter and others are just a risk you are faced with. This doesn’t mean that you will suffer from anyone of these potential complications but it is important that you know what they are.
The most common risk is that of a urinary tract infection. This is something most people will be faced with regardless of how long the catheter is used. Thankfully there are some simple things you can do that will help to reduce the risks of urinary tract infections occurring. Properly caring for and cleaning the catheter, the drainage bag, and your own personal area after a bowel movement is your best option. When the catheter is inserted, a nurse or your doctor will give you instructions on how to keep the area and all of the parts of the catheter cleaned and disinfected.
It’s also important that you learn more about the signs and symptoms of the complications. This will allow you to recognize if you are developing a complication and allow you to contact your doctor before the condition worsens. Blood in your urine will be a fairly noticeable sign.
Some of the symptoms possible include blood in the urine, cloudy or thick urine, and tenderness around the catheter puncture. In addition, you may also experience a large amount of leakage around the catheter, bladder spasms that does not go away and little to no urine when you have been drinking large amounts of fluids.
There will be specific things you will need to know depending on which type of urinary catheter type you are using. You can do some research online, but discussing it with your medial provider is necessary, especially if you do find something online that raises questions. It should be noted that you should never attempt to clean or care for your catheter on your own from something you find online. It would be in your best interest to talk with your nurse or doctor beforehand.
Your medical provider will walk you through all of the steps of properly caring for and cleaning your catheter and every part that is attached to it. Be sure you are paying close attention as you will need to implement the information provided. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water daily will help to not only produce urine but also avoid constipation, which will reduce urine leakage.
There will be many small and large details you will need to pay close attention to in order to facilitate your best experience with catheter use. Write down pertinent information and be sure to ask questions if you are unsure of anything before you need to do this for yourself. This will reduce any unfortunate and avoidable accidents.
The Internet is a great place to find many answers to your questions, but it would be in your better interest to run them by your Medical Supplies provider to ensure the information is correct. Remember, there is no way of knowing if the person is a doctor or just a person giving their advice on a Catheter Products. This doesn’t mean it’s not good information, but it would be best to get the okay from your doctor or nurse.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tagged with: Catheter • Indwelling Catheter • Intermittent Catheter • Intermittent Catheters • Urinay Catheter
Filed under: Wellness
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Leave a Reply