A urinary catheter definitely helps drive the urine out of the body, but it can invite infections too if not kept hygienic. These risks make showering with a catheter a careful task. You need to know how to ensure and maintain the best hygiene while using a catheter so it serves the purpose without putting your health at stake.
Here are some tips to ensure the best hygiene while using a catheter and keep it working properly:
Washing hands
Catheters or no catheters, washing hands is always essential to maintain a good health. With catheters, it becomes even more important. As handling catheters puts you on the risk of infections, washing hands frequently can reduce its possibility and help you feel more confident about your safety, ensuring hygiene and promoting peace of mind.
No more bath tubs
With catheters, you don’t need a bath tub as it may increase the risk. You should prefer showers over bathing as water should never make its way to the catheter. Needless to mention, swimming is not even a thing to consider as long as you depend on catheters to drain pee from your system. You should make sure to keep it as dry as possible.
Protected showering
Protecting catheters using a water barrier like Shower Shield can be a great step towards eliminating a direct contact with water. They are easy to use, and made using quality adhesive and film to ensure the best protection from water without compromising on your safety.
Cleaning the discharge
When using catheters, it is common to notice a small amount of discharge at the point where the catheter enters the penis. You should gently wash the discharge using warm water and mild soap while taking the shower. By doing so, you can greatly reduce the chances of infections arising from the constant use of catheters.
Avoiding scented soaps
You should avoid using scented soaps and other such products such as talcum powders, lotions, bath salts, and creams in that area. The best thing to do is to only use the products prescribed by your doctor. You should avoid adding any new skincare product to your routine for the period you’re on catheters.
Staying in touch with your doctor
Despite following all the safety precautions and taking steps to maintain hygiene, you may still experience some symptoms such as swelling, redness, pus, or pain around the area where the catheter enters the body. If that’s the case, you should reach out to your doctor without thinking twice and discuss your problem to avoid bigger medical problems.
The bottom line
Most people who are new to catheters get nervous and feel confused about how to use it and maintain hygiene. As it is an external element inserted for a purpose, cleanliness is essential. Not doing this can lead to infections and make you visit a doctor’s clinic. The above tips will help you maintain hygiene and ensure better safety.
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