| SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Menopause
Menopause Symptoms and Relief
Menopause
and Controlling Your Bladder
You may not be too bothered by some of the
symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes…no problem. Weight gain…not
really an issue. There is, however, something particularly
irksome about not being able to control your bladder. Many
menopausal women discover, to their dismay, that they no longer
have the bladder control they used to.
The three most common forms of bladder incontinence are urge
incontinence, overflow incontinence, and stress incontinence. Urge incontinence is when a woman loses most control of her
bladder, with it simply releasing urine on its own in spite
of the woman’s attempts to control it. Overflow incontinence
is characterized by a loss of sensation that the bladder is
full, resulting in the bladder releasing urine before the woman
realizes she needs to urinate. Stress incontinence is the most
common form to menopausal women, and is characterized by unintended
bladder leakage when a woman coughs or sneezes or otherwise
puts pressure on the bladder. It is important to note that
any form of incontinence should be discussed with your doctor.
There are a few factors that may increase the odds of experiencing
menopausal incontinence. Some studies suggest that hormone
replacement therapy will make a woman more likely to have trouble
controlling her bladder, while other studies cite a twice as
likely chance that a diabetic woman will suffer from incontinence
during menopause. Another factor researchers have suggested
is perhaps the method of labor a woman used if she had children.
Apparently, women who had vaginal labors are more likely than
women who delivered by cesarean to eventually have bladder
issues when they reach menopausal age.
Menopausal
incontinence isn’t just annoying, but it can be so devastating
to a woman’s psyche that it leads to social
withdrawal. It is not uncommon to fear that everyone around
her knows that she has an issue with bladder control, and for
some women this proves to be enough of a stressor to force
them to withdraw from social situations. Take heed: you are
not the only one with this problem. Literally millions of people
are experiencing the same things you are going through, and
it is also pretty safe to say that nobody will notice your
problem if you take proper precautions.
So
what can be done? Some women are so bothered by bladder
control problems that they assume drinking less liquid is the
solution, but in fact this practice can lead to other sorts
of problems such as infections and dehydration. It is important
to keep drinking plenty of liquids, even if you don’t care
for the method by which your bladder chooses to expel it. Conversely,
too much water may result in bladder spasms, so don’t go overboard
in your attempt to stay hydrated. Relief may come in the form
of medication, pelvic exercises, or in the most extreme cases
surgery may be recommended.
Sometimes bladder control problems are a result of an infection,
as opposed to being a result of menopause, so it is essential
that you discuss this with your doctor. It would be a shame
to simply accept the incontinence as a byproduct of menopause
if it is actually stems from something else completely treatable.
Remember, not all menopausal women develop bladder problems.
For some women it may simply be a matter of enduring this
inconvenience for a while. There are a myriad of products available
in stores that are designed to assist people with bladder control
problems (80% of which, by the way, are women), and before
you envision shimmying into a pair of bulky adult diapers just
know that many of the products available are quite discreet
and little more than the size of a sanitary pad. You can even
order them online, thereby sidestepping the sometimes-embarrassing
motions of trying to bury them in your shopping cart at the
grocery store.
It may feel as though your body is rebelling against you sometimes
with all the new and perplexing symptoms menopause can bring
on, but try to keep a positive perspective. You’re in what
can indeed be the most fabulous time of your life, and if you
have to trade a little bladder control for it then maybe that
isn’t such a bad trade. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
> Home > Menopause
Articles : Main Page
|
