Multiple Sclerosis

Being confined to bed can be tough on both the patient and the caregiver.  The good news is that there are bedridden aids that make daily care much easier on everyone.

AllegroMedical.com presents Bauerfeind orthopedic braces and supports, designed to provide healing stability and pain relief.  Bauerfeind is a supremely engineered line of orthopedic braces and supports .   Experience pain relief with GenuTrain®,  MalleoTrain®, and SacroLoc® .

People with incontinence (urinary or fecal) tend to have excessive moisture build up around their buttocks, hips, and genitals.  Skin irritations are caused by excessive moisture.  Caregivers and users of incontinence products should be on the lookout for skin with the appearance of redness, peeling, or perineal dermatitis (diaper rash).  Yeast infections are also very common skin ailments in incontinent people.  Yeast infections on the skin can be very uncomfortable and often painful.  They are easy to identify with their fiery red appearance and itchy burning sensation.  Treatment with an anti-fungal cream is often necessary in order to heal.

People with medical heat intolerance conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can feel their symptoms become worse when their body temperature increases. Many people can feel much worse by just a half degree difference in temperature! MS research has proven that heat and humidity often aggravate common MS symptoms ¹. This is where body cooling systems give relief to people experiencing MS symptoms. Now there is no reason to be stuck inside on a warm summer afternoon as these cooling systems gives freedom back to those who enjoy the outdoors.

What are pressure ulcers?

Adult briefs and protective underwear are used by many of the 25 million Americans suffering from incontinence.¹  Our landfills receive 18 billion disposable diapers every year of which disposable diapers account for 1.5% of total municipal solid waste generation in landfills. ^1,2    According to the U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL it takes 450 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.³   Reducing the use of disposable incontinence undergarments is one step in waste prevention that can help  reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Excessive greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere upset the natural atmospheric balance resulting in climate change.⁴

In the spinal cord injury (SCI) population bladder cancer incidence is around 3% versus the less than 1% in the general population.  Although bladder cancer typically is 100 times more likely in SCI individuals, it is still rather uncommon.  Survivors of spinal cord injury have more concerns with complications of pressure sores, kidney failure and spinal cord cysts.  The risk of bladder cancer increases with the use of a “foley” or “indwelling” catheter or even a suprapubic catheter.  The main culprit for bladder cancer is bladder irritation.  Recurrent or frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or bladder infections, repeat bladder stones, and irritation resulting from catheters are known bladder irritants.  Consult your doctor about your risk of developing bladder cancer if you use catheters especially foley or suprapubic.  Your urologist can inspect your bladder, which is recommended around 5 years after your SCI. ^1,2

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects approximately 2.5 million people Worldwide and 400,000 in the US. ¹   Women are more often diagnosed with MS, and first symptoms tend to strike during your prime years of life.  To understand MS, picture a frayed electrical cord where the electric current short-circuits causing appliances to deactivate.  The protective coating (myelin) of your nerves is a conductor for nerve pulses to transmit messages from your brain through your spinal cord for your body parts to perform specific actions.  When the myelin is destroyed (demyelination) similar to a frayed electrical cord our nerve impulses in the brain or spinal cord “short-circuit”, resulting in MS symptoms like visual disorders, fatigue, numbness, and mobility and walking issues. ²   Research shows that within 10 to 15 years of an MS diagnosis,  80% of individuals will experience difficulty walking.³  Mobility devices such as powered scooters help increase activity and mobility in users.⁴  If you or a loved one suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and experience difficulty walking an electric mobility scooter can help keep you independent and active.

The cause of MS is still a mystery.  One current theory links MS to lack of sunlight exposure.

As adults age, once simple tasks like sitting, standing, and walking can become more challenging, leading to a reduction in physical activity.  Older adults should participate in safe and effective moderate physical activities to achieve an improved quality of life.   Sadly, one-third of adults over the age of 50 lack physical activity in their daily lives. ¹   Older adults living a sedentary lifestyle have reduced strength and balance which increases risk of falling².  Senior adults, age 65 and older, are at high risk for falls with one out of three seniors falling each year.³   Daily living aids are helpful tools that will keep you safe and moving independently.   AllegroMedical.com presents five daily living aids to help you increase physical activity safely.