4 Tricks Menopause Plays on Your Bladder
Hot flashes and night sweats are some of the pranks played on women as they age. Unfortunately, those aren’t the only tricks up the sleeves of menopause. There’s more.
Bladder issues can be added to that “miserable list” of symptoms faced during this time of life. To be specific, these may include urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Surprisingly, your bladder relies on estrogen to be healthy and fit. Without it, your bladder becomes weak and cranky, leaving you with some embarrassing and frustrating symptoms.
1. Overactive bladder
There’s nothing like a sudden urge to urinate to get you running. While the exercise is good for you, the constant running doesn’t make for a very productive day. You don’t get much sleep at night either.
2. Stress Incontinence
Laughter may be good for the soul, but with stress incontinence it’s bad for the bladder. So is sneezing and sudden movement — all of which can all leave you with embarrassingly damp panties.
3. Recurrent urinary tract infection
If running for the bathroom isn’t bad enough, it’s also painful to urinate. And it’s painful if you don’t. UTI’s are no fun at the best of times, and they get especially old when their recurrent during menopause.
4. Bladder Prolapse (Cystocele)
If you weren’t uncomfortable enough with urination issues, now it feel like there’s something in your vagina. It’s your bladder — you’ve developed a cystocele. And the longer you wait to treat it, the farther it will fall.
Treatments
The earlier you begin treatments, the more effective they may be. Options include:
- Vaginal estrogen
- Limiting alcohol and caffeine
- Not smoking
- Following a healthy diet that prevents constipation
- Medications
- Pelvic floor physical therapy
- Bladder retraining exercises
- Losing weight/maintaining a healthy weight
- A pessary
This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support. Reprinted with permission: 4 Tricks Menopause Plays on Your Bladder
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