There are many perks of getting older. The life experience you gather often gives you a good sense of self-belief and what’s really important in life. Maybe you have grown-up children and time to do all of the things you put aside during the years with small children or the hectic beginning-of-a-career stage? Lisa Snowdon shared this feeling when she admitted in our Age of Confidence research that she only started to feel confident at age 50. Menopause doesn’t have to stand in your way from doing what you love – but there are a couple of things that can be useful to know about during this new period in life.
Most people have heard about common symptoms of menopause, like hot flushes and mood swings, but a topic that is less discussed is how can affect the urinary tract and bladder. Up to 50% of post-menopausal women experience urine leakage every now and then1, although this is likely to be higher due to under reporting. So, it’s certainly something that we should all be speaking about more.
In this article we’ll take a look at why menopause can cause incontinence, along with a couple of treatment options that can be helpful to ease some of the changes in your body.
Why can menopause cause incontinence and bladder weakness?
When you go through menopause, your body stops producing as much oestrogen. Oestrogen is involved in many bodily functions and has an important part to play in keeping your bladder and urinary tract healthy. Decreased levels of oestrogen may result in symptoms like vaginal dryness, pain on intimacy, urinary frequency, urgency and urine leakage and an increased risk of urine infections.
These symptoms are collectively known as “genitourinary syndrome of menopause” (GSM). Between 40-60% of postmenopausal women experience GSM, but few seek treatment.This might be due to embarrassment, shame and a lack of understanding of the condition. A lot of women think menopausal leaks and is a normal part of aging, with no treatment available.
Different types of incontinence that you might experience because of menopause and GSM
Stress incontinence
Symptoms of stress incontinence include urine leaks when coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping or heavy lifting.
Urge
If you often feel a sudden and pressing need to urinate, or sometimes you can’t make it to the loo on time, you may be experiencing urge incontinence. You might also wake up several times at night with an urge to urinate – a condition called nocturia.
What you can do to manage incontinence during menopause
Here are some of the steps you can take to ease the symptoms of GSM and manage incontinence during menopause:
- Strengthen your pelvic floor so that it’s more capable of controlling your bladder and little leaks. These are called Kegels exercises. Studies have shown that properly done can improve up to 80% of mild incontinence symptoms. Take a look at the NHS “ Squeezy app”. This app reminds and guides you how to do Kegels properly. Alternatively EMY by TENA's Smart Kegel Trainer for is an option that has helped many.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they can irritate your bladder and cause feelings of urgency.
- Limit how much you drink in the evening so that you’re less likely to need to use the loo at night.
- Try to lose some weight, if this is a personal goal for you or has been advised by your doctor, and avoid if possible. This is to alleviate pressure on the bladder and bowel.
- Some medications can make incontinence worse, i.e. codeine based pain killers.
- Vaginal moisturisers are recommended, making sure they are pH balanced ( aiming for around pH5) and without parabens or glycerol. Organic coconut oil is also a useful labial and vaginal moisturiser.
- Explore products that can help with little leaks such as TENA Lights, our thin and discreet liner with fast absorption for the protection of the most sensitive of skin.
- If incontinence is having a negative effect on your daily routine and quality of life, we recommend you speak to your GP to get an assessment and a proper diagnosis. They may then be able to offer you medical treatment and advice for your individual circumstance. A referral to a women’s health physiotherapist via your GP can be extremely beneficial.
- Consider the use of local vaginal oestrogen. Most women can use these safely, even those who have had breast cancer. Discuss with your healthcare professional to be sure.
Find out more about how to deal with incontinence.
For additional menopause help and support, find out more about the stages of , and learn about how menopause can impact your mental health.
