Empowering Women: Managing Incontinence During Menopause with Estrogen, Progesterone, and other Natural Solutions
- Millennial Health
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
Incontinence can be frustrating and emotionally taxing, affecting both physical health and social interactions. However, I discovered effective methods to manage this issue through hormones like estrogen and progesterone, along with other natural solutions. In this blog, I’ll share my journey and insights into managing incontinence during menopause effectively.
Understanding Incontinence During Menopause
Incontinence often feels like a taboo topic, yet it affects many women during menopause. Hormonal changes can weaken pelvic muscles and alter urinary function, leading to involuntary leakage.
Did you know that approximately 30% of women experience some form of urinary incontinence during and after menopause? By addressing these concerns and exploring hormonal and other natural solutions, we can take proactive steps in managing our bodies.
The Role of Progesterone and Estrogen
During menopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone decline significantly. These hormones are crucial for maintaining the health of our bladder and pelvic floor.
Estrogen keeps the tissues of the urinary tract healthy. A decrease can lead to dryness and atrophy, contributing to incontinence. Progesterone regulates various bodily functions, including muscle tone in the pelvic floor. Balancing these hormones should lead to a noticeable reduction in urinary issues.
Diet and Nutrition
Prioritizing hydration was key, so I developed the habit of mainly only drinking water daily and I limit caffeine and alcohol, which can irritate the bladder and lead to more frequent urges. Cut out or reduce caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, coca cola. Switch to decaffeinated alternatives as caffeine is a very potent stimulator of the bladder muscle and can cause urgency. Alcohol, particularly red wine, can be very stimulating to the bladder. You do not have to be a "Teetotaler", but the sensible thing is to cut back for a month and see how that impacts bladder function. If it doesn’t then you will know it’s not an issue but if the situation improves you will know alcohol is a trigger.
Incorporating high-fiber foods also may prove beneficial. Foods such as berries, leafy greens, whole grains, and legumes help prevent constipation, reducing pressure on the bladder.
One area I focused on was maintaining a healthy weight. Research indicates that excess weight can increase the likelihood of incontinence by 50% or more.
What can be done?
First of all, I would recommend using an estrogen or progesterone suppository. My favorite is our Hydration Ovals. These are bio-identical, OF COURSE. The estriol will improve collagen around the bladder, the neck of the bladder and the urethra so your bladder will be more resilient, more elastic and less irritable. It will be less rigid and therefore, less likely to leak.
It also impacts the pH of the urine, so you are less likely to get cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder). In most cases, the cause of cystitis is a urinary tract infection (UTI). I have a separate video on UTIs,
Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26za-xaThsU
Some women do not want to use estrogen because they are overweight, have breast tenderness and worry about estrogen dominance. However, when it comes to genital tract problems, estrogen is very protective. You want bio-identical estriol or estradiol…NO SYNTHETICS.
What else? Alter your intake of fluid habits.
Restricting fluids will not help because this will make your urine more highly concentrated which can irritate the bladder. Although it may sound logical to you, excessive restriction of fluids is counterproductive. If you are truly struggling with getting up in the night, you can start to restrict what you drink after 7 or 8 at night. Do not restrict during the day, your body needs sufficient fluids.
What about Kegel exercises? for urinary stress incontinence
One of the most effective ways I addressed incontinence was through pelvic floor exercises, commonly known as Kegel exercises. These exercises strengthen the pelvic muscles, improving bladder control. Kegel's are great for the stress incontinence (losing urine when you sneeze or cough.) These strengthen the muscles in the vagina, bladder and back passage. Many women do not do them correctly and therefore do not pull the right muscles and achieve any results.
How to do Kegel exercises: You can feel your pelvic floor muscles if you try to stop the flow of urine when you are urinating. To strengthen the muscles, sit comfortably and squeeze as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine. Do this 10 - 15 times in a row. Start gradually, practice squeezing and holding these muscles for five seconds, repeating this process for 10 sets several times a day. You can do this during daily life, while you brush your teeth or wait for the kettle to boil (I LOVE tea) or sit at your desk.
There are also some devices on the market. They are inserted vaginally and can be programmed by remote to do the exercises and supposedly activate the muscle.
Okay Ladies, urinary incontinence can be daunting to deal with ... but these easy tips can help you take charge. The longer you leave it, the worse it gets. If you do nothing, it’s not going to get better; it will get worse year after year.
If your looking for more information check out my video on incontinence during menopause.
Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGfHMOob_c8&t=95s
If you would like my information on products that I know and trust, educational material, or you just have a question,
email me at: barbara@askbarbarahoffman.com
I’m here to help you!
Love You,
Barbara