Bladder Leaks and Menopause

Whether you’re currently going through menopause or about to start, it can be a difficult time for any woman. In addition to hot flushes, mood swings, and irregular bleeding, menopause can also affect your hormone levels, resulting in incontinence.

What Are the Causes of Incontinence During Menopause?

Stress incontinence is the most common form of incontinence among menopausal and postmenopausal women. Incontinence of this type is almost always caused by hormonal imbalance, specifically by decreased estrogen levels.

Estrogen works to keep a woman’s muscles strong, even the muscles that are necessary for her to maintain bladder control. The urinary tract lining is also affected by estrogen. During menopause, estrogen levels drop, causing muscles to weaken and bladder control to become increasingly difficult.

How to Curb and Stop Leaks 

Since bladder problems can be embarrassing, negatively affect your lifestyle, and worsen with age, the sooner you take action, the more relaxed and happier you will be. Using a thin discreet panty liner for incontinence is the best way to manage leaks, but here are several other ways to minimize bathroom visits and leakage.

Drink up. While it may seem counterintuitive, your urinary system and the rest of your body function best when it is well hydrated. When fluids are restricted, urine becomes very concentrated, which irritates the bladder. In addition, it conditions your bladder to hold less urine, resulting in more potty breaks throughout the day. Drink small amounts of fluids throughout the day if you aren’t getting enough.

Dehydration can exacerbate other menopause symptoms, too, so as you rehydrate, you may also notice improvements. If necessary, stock up your purse with a reliable panty liner. This can save you the stress and embarrassment of constantly running to the restroom throughout the day.

Exercise your pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a band of muscles that extends from your pubic bone to your tailbone and out to the sides to support your bladder, intestines, and uterus. During menopause, hormone changes can weaken these muscles, which control urination.

Childbirth, surgery, persistent coughing, and chronic constipation are also contributing factors. Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and help you regain control of your bladder by contracting and relaxing the muscles around your vagina. Imagine you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. You can use this to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and prevent a leaky bladder. 

Avoid diuretics. The caffeine in coffee, tea, and soda acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production, so you have to pee more frequently. Furthermore, caffeine irritates the bladder, causing contractions that will send you to the bathroom within five to forty-five minutes of drinking it. Reduce or eliminate these beverages from your diet.

Watch out for other bladder irritants. Along with caffeine, other beverages and foods that can aggravate urinary problems include alcohol, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, citrus fruits, tomatoes, tomato-based dishes, and spicy foods. See if your symptoms improve by eliminating these irritants. You can reintroduce foods one at a time to see which ones affect you the most and which ones don’t.

Get more fiber. Constipation can be caused by eating too little fiber, which puts more pressure on your bladder. Consume more vegetables, beans, and fruits to get 25 grams of fiber daily. Oatmeal, beans, nuts, lentils, peas, apples, blueberries, oranges, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes are good sources. Fiber also helps you maintain a healthy weight by filling you up with fewer calories.

Schedule bathroom visits. Try to go to the bathroom every two hours, regardless of whether you need to go. Regularity will help prevent sudden urges. As you see improvement, gradually increase the interval between bathroom visits. By doing so, you will retrain your bladder to hold more urine.

Benefits of Using an Incontinence Panty Liner for Bladder Leaks 

Many women dread the idea of using panty liners, especially years after they’ve stopped menstruating. Still, there are many benefits to using pads and liners made specifically for bladder leaks to help with light urinary incontinence.

Convenient – Pads and panty liners are convenient to use. They are perfect for on-the-go use since they can be slipped into your purse or wallet, and you can change anywhere there is a restroom. 

Easy – Most women have been using pads for decades by the time they develop light bladder leaks, making use and disposal so effortless it’s practically second nature. 

Universal – Both men and women may experience urinary incontinence, which can vary in symptoms and causes. No matter what kind of urinary incontinence you have, pads and panty liners can hide leaks! 

Safe & Healthy- Unlike years ago, many panty liners are now made without the use of harsh chemicals against your skin. The newer designs provide the most discreet anti-leak protection. The best panty liners are free from chlorine, synthetic fragrances, lotions, and latex. 

Accessible – Panty liners are available at almost any pharmacy or major retailer, but with the rise in technology, purchasing pantry liners for incontinence has gotten even easier as many companies will ship them right to your door! In addition, you can save time and money by signing up for a convenient subscription service. 

Incontinence can be distressing and dramatically impact a woman’s quality of life. You don’t have to live with the stress and embarrassment of a leaky bladder. Stress incontinence can now be managed with a variety of options, including instant protection with easy-to-use panty liners.

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