Men Coping with Incontinence
Penile clamps are also known as cunningham clamp, dribblestop incontinence clamp or regain incontinence clamp. As the name implies, it is a device used and placed on the penis to help men with incontinence problems. Most of the time, this clamp is used by patients who have undergone surgery for prostate cancer. It works by restricting the flow of urine and is considered as the alternative solution for incontinence problems aside from surgery.
What Does Penile Clamps Look Like
There are various incontinence clamps available in the market, which comes in different forms. There are even incontinence clamps that look like a penis as it is made to conform to the shape of the male genital organ. Although penile clamps have different appearances, most of them have similar features being padded and flexible. Since the insides are padded, you can expect it to be soft so that it won’t irritate the penis. The reason for the flexibility of the penile clamps is for it to conform to the shape or simply to fit the male organ. The insides are usually made of foam thus the softness and flexibility.
The outside material of the penile clamps may vary. It could either be made of metal or it could also be made of plastic. You can also find a strap or other adjustment methods to tighten or loosen the clamp around the penis. These clamps are designed to be lightweight and long wearing. This gives the user the freedom to wear the device everyday without experiencing too much discomfort.
The Dribblestop® Male
Urinary Incontinence Clamp is an external clamp that gently applies pressure to the top of the penis, as well as the
urethra on the underside to effectively control bladder leakage for incontinence in men.
Shown here in its closed position, the Regain
Incontinence Clamp
applies gentle pressure to the underside of the penis, stopping the flow of urine so you don’t leak.
Step By Step Guide on Using Penile Clamps
• Open it and position it to be halfway around the penile shaft.
• Locate the hump on the device. This should be placed on one side.
• Position the hump on the bottom side of the male organ.
• Once the dribblestop incontinence clamp is in place, squeeze it so you can properly close the device.
• When closing the device, make sure that you allow enough space for blood circulation. So it should not be too tight.
• To remove it, simply press the inward of the spring wire loops. Or for some penile clamps models, just release the strap.
• Remember to remove it hourly and empty the bladder to avoid complications.
Why Tighten the Penile clamp
The tightening of the device is actually the way for you to stop the flow of urine. As you tighten the clamp around the penis, the inside of the pad, which is made of soft foam gently, presses your urethra. This makes it possible to stop the leakage or the flow of urine. It is important to employ just the right amount of pressure when tightening the clamp because a loose one will not stop the flow of urine, defeating its purpose. On the other hand, excessive tightness of the penile clamps can cause damage to the urethra and the outer layer of the penis skin.
When to Stop Using Penile Clamps
Although penile clamps can help you with bladder control, it can also hurt you if it is not used correctly. Aside from the doctor telling you not to use the clamp anymore, you can check out some symptoms on when to stop using it. Here are some symptoms you need to watch out for:
• Torn or broken skin on the penis, especially on the top or bottom.
• Pale, reddened or blue skin on the genital area.
• Pain
• Itching
• Foul smelling urine
• Liquid discharges coming out of the penis
• Voiding difficulty
• If you are having a hard time emptying your bladder even after removing the penile clamps.
If any of these symptoms, seems familiar, consult your doctor right away. You can also put a cream on the skin of the penis before putting on your penile clamps as a way of protecting your skin. More importantly, don’t ever forget to remove it or loosen it every hour. It’s not healthy to use the regain incontinence clamp all day without removing or having a break from it. The goal here is to help with incontinence in men, and not add to the complications that are caused by wrong use or excessive use of penile clamps.
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