How Can I Stop Incontinence During Menopause?

For many women, urinary incontinence is a common and frustrating side effect of menopause.

While there are some treatments available, each woman’s situation is different.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the options for managing urinary incontinence during menopause. We hope you find it helpful!

Menopause and Incontinence

When estrogen levels drop during menopause, the tissues in a woman’s body can become weaker and less elastic.

This weakening of tissues can affect many different parts of a woman’s body, including the bladder.

As the bladder muscles get weaker over time, it becomes harder to fully empty out urine from the bladder, which allows some residual urine to remain in the bladder.

This residual urine is more likely to leak out of the body, causing urinary incontinence.

The fact that estrogen levels are lower during menopause makes some women more likely to experience urinary incontinence.

However, hormonal changes associated with childbirth and breastfeeding can also contribute to urinary incontinence.

How can I stop incontinence during menopause?

As urinary incontinence can be quite inconvenient, many women look for treatments to help them manage their symptoms.

Some of the most common treatment options include:

Kegel exercises – Kegel exercises are recommended for strengthening pelvic floor muscles and preventing urinary incontinence. The specific exercises that are advised vary depending on a woman’s specific needs.

For example, women who simply seem to have some minor leaking may only need to perform Kegel exercises once per day.

On the other hand, women with more severe urinary incontinence may need to perform these exercises several times per day in order to see lasting results.

Pelvic floor muscle trainers – A pelvic floor muscle trainer is a device that can be used to help strengthen the pelvic muscles.

Women who have urinary incontinence may benefit from using a pelvic floor muscle trainer during their daily routine, such as while watching television or talking on the phone.

Pelvic floor muscle trainers are available in different models and can either be purchased at a physical location or online.

Vaginal pessaries – A vaginal pessary is a small device that’s inserted into the vagina to help reduce leakage from the bladder.

Vaginal pessaries can be used by women who have mild urinary incontinence and may also benefit those who have pelvic organ prolapse, which is a condition that causes organs such as the bladder and uterus to fall out of their usual positions.

Vaginal pessaries come in different shapes, sizes, and designs and can be either soft or hard.

Supplement – Many supplements are available for treating urinary incontinence.

Supplements like confitrol24 have been shown to help treat urinary incontinence symptoms. The supplement can be ordered from their official website.

Biofeedback therapy – Biofeedback therapy is a treatment option that can help women learn to control when they urinate.

When starting biofeedback therapy, a woman will have an electrode attached to her body.

These electrodes are then hooked up to equipment in order for the doctor to track the electrical activity in the part of her body that controls urination.

After this, a woman is able to see how different actions affect the electrical signals her bladder sends to her brain.

With biofeedback therapy, women can learn techniques that they can use for managing their urinary incontinence symptoms.

Surgery – In some cases, a doctor may recommend performing surgery as a treatment option for urinary incontinence.

There are different types of surgeries that can help treat urinary incontinence and these procedures tend to be effective for those with more severe symptoms.

Before undergoing any type of surgery, it’s important to speak with the health care provider about possible risks.

What are the causes for Urinary Incontinence?

While hormonal changes are often the main culprits behind urinary incontinence, there are other factors that may contribute to this condition.

Some of these include:

• Being overweight or obese – Being overweight or obese can put pressure on the bladder and abdominal muscles.
• Having pregnancy complications – Women who have had deliveries where forceps were used or had a long pushing stage may have more of a chance of experiencing urinary incontinence.
• Having constipation – Constipation can make it harder to hold in urine and it can cause bladder pressure.
• Being older – As women get older, their pelvic floor muscles tend to weaken and this increases the risk of having incontinence problems.
• Long-term cough – A long-term cough can cause urinary incontinence in some women and in rare cases, it may be a sign of a more serious condition.
• Consuming alcohol or caffeine – Consuming too much alcohol or caffeine can irritate the bladder and lead to symptoms such as urine leakage.
• Smoking cigarettes – Smoking cigarettes is thought to increase women’s risk of developing urinary incontinence.
• Being sedentary – Not getting enough physical activity may lead to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles and this increases the risk of experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence.

How can I reduce the risk of urinary incontinence during menopause?

The following steps can help women reduce their risk of developing urinary incontinence during menopause-

Maintaining a healthy weight – Maintaining a healthy weight can go a long way in reducing the risk of experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence.

Being physically active – Getting regular physical activity can strengthen pelvic floor muscles and also reduce symptoms such as urine leakage.

Eating a healthy diet – Consuming foods that are high in dietary fiber and drinking plenty of fluids can reduce the risk for constipation.

Using lubricant during sex – This can help to reduce friction which may cause pain, making it difficult to urinate after intercourse.

No smoking – Smoking cigarettes is linked to an increased risk for pelvic organ prolapse and/or urinary incontinence.

Considering hormone therapy – If a woman has moderate or severe symptoms of urinary incontinence, she may benefit from using hormones to reduce the severity of her symptoms.