The thought of needing a catheter is enough to set most people to squirming, and that’s only natural. The devices have a tendency to be very uncomfortable, and most people find that the administering of the device can cause quite a bit of pain. The possibility of infection is great unless the medical professionals who place the device take all of the precautions. However, in some cases, you may need to have one of these devices. It might be because you just had surgery, or because of another health problem that requires it. Knowing a little bit about the different types of these devices should help to alleviate at least a little bit of the stress.

The most common type of catheter is the Foley, and they will stay right in the bladder to help remove urine over a long period. These are indwelling catheters, and that means that they are going to stay inside of your bladder. They have a small balloon at the end that the medical team will inflate in order to keep it in place.

Not all of the devices are long-term though. The intermittent catheter is only used to help drain the bladder. Sometimes, they need to use these after a patient has had surgery and is not able to go on his or her own. After the removal of the urine, they are able to remove the device. Still, it’s not a pleasant feeling!

For men who have problems with incontinence, there is another type. It is a condom catheter, and it doesn’t have the same problems that many of the other types do. It is a sheath that fits over the penis and has a bad attached to it for draining urine. Since it doesn’t go into the urethra or the bladder, there is less chance of an infection. Many older men who have incontinence prefer this to other types of treatments. It is very important to make sure that you have the proper size with this device, otherwise discomfort or leakage can occur.

No matter which type you may have to use, it’s vital that you always take precautions and make sure that you keep the area clean and change the bag often. If you don’t, urinary tract infections are real possibility. You will be able to find many of the supplies that you need for keeping the area clean through online stores.