Menopause and Bladder Control

One of the signs and symptoms of menopause is having bladder control issues or urinary incontinence. When you stop having periods each month, your body does not make as much estrogen. Estrogen is responsible for many functions of the body one of which is to keep the lining of your bladder and urethra plump and healthy. Researchers also think that diminished levels of estrogen could contribute to a weakness in the pelvic floor muscles which enable you to control your bladder. That said, you can deal effectively with HYPERLINK "http://www.lifematters.com/pfx2_pelvic_floor.asp" menopause and bladder problems without taking hormones, medications or even invasive measures like surgery.

You may notice that when you cough, lift objects, or sneeze, these activities allow urine to leak through. This type of leaking urine is called stress incontinence and can happen to you at any age. Even though estrogen may play a part in stress incontinence there have not been any studies that show that taking estrogen replacement therapy improves bladder control in older women. Another type of incontinence in older women is called urge incontinence. With this problem, the muscles of your bladder can squeeze when you aren’t ready to urinate causing leakage. This can seriously impact your activities and enjoyment in life.

Once you have determined the nature of your incontinence, you can begin a behavioral approach to curing your problem. Begin with simple Kegel exercises which strengthen the pelvic floor muscles responsible for controlling your bladder. These are not hard to do but you may need some help in making sure you are doing them correctly. The best part is that these exercises do work without any side affects or invasive treatment. They also may have the side effect of increasing your sexual pleasure. Menopause can rob women of their desire and sometimes their ability to enjoy sex. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles will help you feel the orgasms more strongly.

Remember, you are not a victim of urinary incontinence. You can improve your condition and even your sex life with simple exercises designed to strengthen your pelvic floor.