Urinary Problems

After menopause, some women will experience a number of common urinary difficulties. The most common cause of incontinence is surgical menopause or hysterectomy. Some symptoms of urinary difficulties include:

• Increase in frequency of urination.
• Urgent need to urinate even when the bladder is not full.
• Waking up several times during the night to urinate.
• Leaking urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing or lifting.
• Pain when urinating.

What is urinary incontinence?

Hysterectomy is not the only cause of urinary incontinence. Other common causes include:

• Bladder infections and cystitis.
• Urethral infections and urethritis.
• Pelvic muscle and ligament weakening caused by childbirth or general aging factors.
• Side effect of some prescription diuretics, tranquilizers or antihistamines.
• Bladder irritated by cigarette smoking, alcohol use and/or drinking caffeine.
• Other medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

Can urinary incontinence be treated?

Many treatment options are available to help or even cure urinary incontinence. Women should not feel embarrassed, and it is important that they discuss this condition with a physician. Some treatment possibilities include:

• Toning the urogenital muscles with Kegel exercises.
• Urethral implants such as Femsoft® or pessaries. Pessaries are donut-shaped rubber rings worn in the vagina, like a diaphragm. The pessary pushes up the bladder neck against the pelvic bone, and holds it in place, so the natural sphincter mechanism can work.
• Using prescription drugs such as certain anticholinergic medications.
• Strengthening the pelvic muscles by inserting vaginal appliances including pessaries and weighted cone devices.
• Stimulating the pelvic muscles with biofeedback.

Although we used to believe that estrogen therapy (ET) and/or hormone therapy (HT) were beneficial for treating incontinence, recent studies have shown that they increase incontinence and uterine prolapse (the herniation of the uterus into or beyond the vagina).

Related Articles Menstrual Changes Fertility Changes Hot Flashes Mood Swings Insomnia and Perimenopausal Women Lower Sex Drive Heart Palpitations in Menopause

External Sources The North American Menopause Society Menopause Guidebook: Helping Women Make Informed Healthcare Decisions Through Perimenopause and Beyond, (2001) The Hormone Foundation Menopause: Managing Your Body's Changes The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Gynecologic Problems: Urinary Incontinence, (February 2000)

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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