Menopause and Urinary Incontinence

1. Menopause and Urinary Incontinence

2. Incontinence can affect your bladder and bowel both. Urinary incontinence, as we all know, is the loss of bladder control. It is usually caused by problems with the muscles and nerves that help the bladder hold or pass urine. Certain health events unique to women, such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, can cause problems with these muscles and nerves.

3. It is said that it affects around 50% of postmenopausal women in age every year. The loss of bladder control can range from minor to major i.e. from a few leaks to losing complete control it is important to manage it better by using adult diapers for women. • Menopause affects women between the ages 40-58 years and occurs when the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Amongst other functions, estrogen’s main job is to regulate menstruation and keep the bladder healthy and functioning. As the estrogen in the body reduces the pelvic muscles become weaker, the vaginal tissue becomes less elastic, therefore causing a reduction in its ability to control the bladder. • So what can you do? • It’s said that small changes go a long way, this is applicable here as well:

4. 1. Time your bathroom trips One should take bathroom breaks as per a set schedule, like every hour or every one and a half hour. If followed diligently overtime it can really help you regain the lost control of your pelvic muscles. Once you notice improvement, you should slowly try to extend the duration of the breaks like from one and a half hours you can extend to two and so on. But not necessary when traveling on long journeys bathrooms are easily available especially in India, during those sticky situations you can avoid those awkward staining moments with the use of adult disposable diapers.

5. 2. Tighten your pelvic floor Kegel exercises tend to involve repeated tightening and releasing of your pelvic floor muscles after every few seconds. When you first start doing these exercises, tense the muscles in your pelvic floor and then relax them at the count of three. Repeat this for a minimum ten times. In time you should try to hold your muscles tense for a count of ten and relax them. Your goal should be to do three sets of ten repetitions every day. Kegel exercises will help you to strengthen your pelvic muscles.

6. 3. Watch what you drink and eat You must cut down on your intake of caffeine, aerated drinks and alcoholic drinks as they cause your bladder to fill up faster and then leak. You must also maintain a healthy weight for which you must reduce your calorie intake. Bodyweight can also make it difficult for the pelvic muscles to control your bladder.

7. 4. Biofeedback In biofeedback, you can work with a therapist to better understand the way your body works. Under this, a wire is connected to an electrical patch right over your bladder and the urethral muscles. It will then send a signal to a monitor, which will alert you and let you know when your muscles contract. This will help you learn how to better control them.

8. The above methods won’t give you immediate results but over time they can really help your bladder gain control. To continue with your life till the time the effects of these methods kick in, you can use adult diapers for women. Adult diapers for women are available across India in various pharmacies, modern trade stores and online platforms as well. Overnight diapers for adults are designed to rapidly absorb urine, and keep your skin dry throughout the night. The elastic waist in overnight diapers for adults provides extra comfort to the wearer. Adult diapers for women help in better managing urinary incontinence. You can click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUCncGRo-Tc&feature=youtu.be to learn how to wear an adult diaper.  • However, visiting a gynaecologist is a must to determine the type of incontinence you suffer from and to have expert opinion on the best way to manage this.

9. Image Source: myamericannurse.com, health.harvard.edu, medicalnewstoday.com, arsmed.lv Thank You!