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Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence is the involuntary and uncontrollable passing or leakage of urine. There are three main types of urinary incontinence namely; stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Urinary Incontinence is fairly common and experienced by women during perimenopause or menopause. This is due to a number of changes that occur in the vaginal and uterine regions due to changing hormone levels. As a woman enters the menopausal phase of her life, the vagina becomes thinner, drier and less elastic as estrogen levels fall. The symptoms that result from this biological change include vaginal dryness, itching or irritation, pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), as well as Urinary Incontinence, among others. Irregular, abnormal or excessive vaginal bleeding may also occur during menopause for exactly the same reason.

  • Stress Incontinence: Involuntary leakage of urine while sneezing, laughing or coughing is probably the most common type on this symptom. Sudden force due to the aforementioned on the bladder can cause the leaking due to thinning of the walls between the bladder and vagina and pelvic muscles weakening.
  • Urge Incontinence: As its name suggests this is the unexpected urge and often regular to urinate followed by the uncontrolled loss leakage of urine. A familiar form of incontinence to many women it can strike many times a day even when sleeping at a moments notice.
  • Overflow Incontinence: The inability to completely empty the bladder thus filling up and overflowing in the form of constant dribbling urine. Possibly also caused by blocked urethras or damaged bladders. Accompanying this is the uncomfortable feeling of never being able to empty the bladder.

A fairly common menopause symptom but possible one of the most embarrassing, however, there are some solutions to ease this symptom and improve the control of your bladder.

Menopausal women in particular find incontinence difficult to deal with because of its inconsistent nature. Women suffering from this condition may find themselves beginning to avoid certain situations, rescheduling their day or sleeping less at night.

The bladder is responsible for receiving urine produced in the body by the kidneys. The bladder is a bag like organ that can only hold a given volume of urine at any one time. When it gets filled, the liquid must be expelled through the urethra, which means passing urine. The muscles of the pelvis and sphincter are positioned to control urination, until one is ready to do so. When you feel like urinating and decide to allow it, there are special nerves innervating the pelvic muscles, which send signals to the brain to allow the muscles to relax. The pelvic muscles remain contracted until one is ready to urinate.

At menopause, however, women often find themselves rushing to the bathroom even when it is not a convenient time. This primarily results from a reduction in the level of estrogen hormones in the body, which drops dramatically at this stage of life. Estrogen is important in keeping the urethra and the linings of the bladder healthy along with other muscles. It equally helps in stimulating blood flow to the pelvic region, enhancing the strength of the six deep outward rotators and other adjoining muscles in the pelvis. As estrogen levels drops in the body, the strength of the pelvic muscles also depreciates, thus loosing the strength required to hold urine. This is the major cause of incontinence during menopause. Pregnancy and vaginal birth can also result in the weakening of the pelvic muscles.

Some easy lifestyle changes and exercises can help and ease this symptom. Pelvic Floor Muscle exercises are a simple place to start and can help you regain control. Pelvic muscles are like any other muscle in the body — exercise can make theme stronger. it only takes a few minutes a day and can really help this situation. Sitting down or laying on your back — contract and squeeze your pelvic muscles and keep them tight for a count of 3 — then release. Try to do this a couple of times a day for 5 minutes each time. To help maintain a balanced hormone level in the body one natural solution heralded by a Harley Street Doctor in London is LadyCare. Now available in the USA direct from the UK — LadyCare is a natural way to help restore the natural hormone levels in your body. A good well balanced and natural diet full of fresh produce is also very important, try to cut out caffeine, alcohol and tobacco, make sure you get plenty of rest and talk to a qualified healthcare professional if you consider the matter to be severe.

The comments on this page are for informational purposes only. We do not provide any medical advice. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any health problem, or replace professional advice from a qualified medical expert

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