There is a risk of complications with many things in life. Having a catheter put in offers certain risks as well. The use of a catheter often isn’t a choice. You’ll find that some of these complications consist of bladder stones, blood infections, kidney damage, urinary tract or kidney infections and allergy or sensitivity to latex. This isn’t to say that everything listed above is going to happen to you. Understanding the risks and the signs of an impending problem mean a quicker response to potential complications.

Urinary tract infections are among the most common complications from catheter use. The risks of this can be greatly reduce by proper cleaning and disinfecting of the catheter itself, as well as the drainage bag, and thoroughly cleaning the area after all bowel movements. Drinking an adequate amount of fluids will also help to prevent infections. You can talk with your health care provider to learn more about how to care for your catheter.

It’s also important that you are aware of the signs of potential complications that can occur. This will help you to detect the signs early enough to get the proper treatment without much discomfort. Most of them will be easy to recognize.

Some of the symptoms possible include blood in the urine, cloudy or thick urine, and tenderness around the catheter puncture. In addition, you may also experience a large amount of leakage around the catheter, bladder spasms that does not go away and little to no urine when you have been drinking large amounts of fluids.

There will be specific things you will need to know depending on which type of urinary catheter type you are using. You can do some research online, but discussing it with your medial provider is necessary, especially if you do find something online that raises questions. It should be noted that you should never attempt to clean or care for your catheter on your own from something you find online. It would be in your best interest to talk with your nurse or doctor beforehand.

Be sure you follow the steps exactly as your nurse or doctor tells you to. Ask any questions you may have when they are taking you through the steps. This will ensure you are doing everything correctly and you will avoid infection.

Drinking eight to ten glasses of water each day is also very important. It will help to reduce infection, as well as prevent you from becoming constipated. Constipation can lead to leaks in the catheter.

The Internet is a great place to find many answers to your questions, but it would be in your better interest to run them by your Medical Supplies provider to ensure the information is correct. Remember, there is no way of knowing if the person is a doctor or just a person giving their advice on a Medical Supplies Catheter. This doesn’t mean it’s not good information, but it would be best to get the okay from your doctor or nurse.

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