If you have a cellphone or a tablet, chances are you’ve downloaded a few apps. And why not? There are well over two million apps available for download for both Apple and Android devices, designed to do all sorts of tasks from playing games to counting calories to balancing your budget to saving money of goods and services – and lots more. It shouldn’t be a big surprise, then, to learn there are also apps to help people with incontinence manage their condition more effectively. From bladder diaries to apps that find the nearest restroom to videos that remind you how and when to do Kegels, there are plenty of high-tech ways to keep your incontinence under control. Here are just a few in 2018 to consider (and most are free!):
1. Sit or Squat
Available for: iPhone, Android
This app for Android and Apple is sponsored by toilet paper manufacturer Charmin and helps users find the nearest public restroom, no matter where you are in the United States.
2. BladderPal
Available for: iPhone, Android
Available for Android and Apple devices, BladderPal lets you keep track of your fluid intake and urine output, two critical measurements that are frequently used by incontinence doctors to measure your level of incontinence and track your progress with treatments.
3. UroBladderDiary
Available for: iPhone
UroBladderDiary is an iPhone only app that records liquid intake and outtake, frequency, urgency, and leakage. The app can also create a custom report that can be sent in a PDF to your doctor. This app is the perfect replacement for a paper voiding diary that is frequently recommended by physicians.
4. Kegel Trainer PFM Exercises
Available for: iPhone, Android
Also available for both types of devices, Kegel Trainer gives you 10 different exercises to practice Kegels. If you’re prone to forget, use the app to set daily reminders.
5. Tät
Available for: iPhone, Android
Tät is an Android and iPhone app with 6 basic and 6 advanced pelvic floor music training sessions. It was developed by a Swedish company who used the app in a study for stress incontinence. In the study, 9 out of 10 women who used the app improved compared to 2 out of 10 women who improved while not using the app.
In addition, YouTube has plenty of videos for Kegels and other pelvic strengthening exercises for men and women, as well as yoga videos to ease the stress and anxiety that can accompany the condition and even contribute to it.
Before beginning any at-home treatment, it’s critical you have your symptoms evaluated by an incontinence specialist. In some cases, incontinence can be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition, and having an evaluation is the best way to be sure you get the right care, right away. If you live in Tennessee, the Incontinence Institute can help! Call our discrete concierge today at 615-525-5253 to schedule your own evaluation and consultation.