Menopause Continence & Bladder Symptoms – What You Need to Know
Urinary leaking in 40s & 50s
Are you experiencing more urine leaks during perimenopause and menopause? If so, you’re among the 50% of perimenopausal and menopausal women affected by urinary incontinence (UI) in some form. Research shows that these numbers are increasing each year, with UI affecting about 20-30% of young women and 30-40% of women in midlife.
Urinary incontinence is a surprisingly common issue for peri/menopausal women, significantly impacting a woman’s quality of life. It affects everything from confidence and work experience to physical activity and intimate health and wellbeing. No one should have to suffer in silence when there are effective, non-invasive solutions available to improve bladder symptoms.
Unfortunately, only about one-third of women experiencing UI and bladder symptoms during menopause seek treatment. Many non-invasive solutions can effectively manage and improve incontinence issues, yet too few women are aware of this. The problem is exacerbated by advertisements encouraging women to ‘pad the problem’ instead of addressing the underlying issues.
Strategies for Managing Urinary Incontinence:
Seek medical help! This situation can be improved. An internal assessment by a professional will get to the root of the issue and result in a tailored treatment plan for you.
Pelvic Floor Training: Strengthening the muscles that support the bladder and urethra can be very effective.
Lifestyle Changes: Managing fluid intake, avoiding irritants like caffeine and alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight can help.
Medical Interventions: Medications, vaginal devices, and behavioural therapies can be explored with healthcare providers for further support.
Non-prescription bladder support products
The initial treatment option for urge incontinence is bladder training, where you’ll learn techniques from a continence adviser to increase the period between feeling the need to wee and doing so. Your GP can make the appropriate referral.
There are many off the shelf products that may help deal with urinary incontinence, including:
Femfit: Pelvic floor strength builder training system with a wearable pressure array sensor and a mobile app The program has been clinically shown to improve 80% of urinary incontinence symptoms in 12 weeks.
Contrelle: Designed to prevent bladder leaks, studies show 68% of women became completely dry using this product, with over 95% experiencing a significant reduction in leakage.
Unicare: Continence TENS & EMS (electronic muscle stimulation) technology, clinically proven to treat UI in 6-12 weeks.
Strengthening your pelvic floor
Kegel exercises are great for strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. To find these muscles, try stopping the flow of urine midstream. Just don’t do this too often as it can weaken them over time. Here’s a simple way to do Kegels:
Identify: Feel the muscles you’d use to stop yourself from breaking wind or stopping urine. These are your pelvic floor muscles.
Exercise: Sit or lie down comfortably. Tighten these muscles for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds.
Repeat: Do 10 reps, three to four times a day.
As you get better, you can speed up the exercise, holding and releasing for just 2 seconds. Consistency is key, so try to make this a regular part of your day. Happy strengthening!
Watch our video featuring expert pelvic health physiotherapist, Christien Bird, as she shares positive and practical advice to improve leaks and other issues related to a weak pelvic floor.
Top Tip from our pelvic floor expert: Download the NHS Squeezy app, designed by women's health physiotherapists specialising in pelvic health. It's a fantastic resource and daily reminder of how and when to do your pelvic floor exercises — no more excuses!
Pants not pads!
Bladder training takes time to show results. In the meantime, boost your confidence with Nixi Body sustainable, secure leak-proof knickers. Comfy, stylish & erfect for daily activities & exercise, and we highly recommend them!
We want to help you avoid the lifelong expense of pads. Shockingly, around three billion nappies and incontinence pads are discarded annually in the UK, making them the third largest consumer item in landfills. They represent 30% of non-biodegradable waste and can take up to 500 years to decompose, according to recycling charity WRAP.
Since menopause bladder symptoms can be improved, there's one less need to contribute to environmental disaster!
Weight gain, exercise & pelvic floor muscles in menopause
Menopause often brings weight gain, for many women, which puts added strain on the pelvic floor muscles. This is bad news for stress incontinence. Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is crucial to prevent menopause-related bladder problems. Weight gain during menopause can strain pelvic floor muscles weakened by decreasing oestrogen levels, leading to UI. Moving more and eating a balanced diet are key to managing bladder problems.
While the benefits of exercise and movement are undeniable, worries about leaking during exercise can be a significant barrier for menopausal women with urinary incontinence. The fear of accidents can lead to embarrassment and reluctance to participate in physical activities, which in turn can negatively impact overall health and wellbeing.
However, these concerns shouldn’t get in the way of staying active.
And finally…
Being pro-active not only eases discomfort but also boosts quality of life, helping women stay independent, confident, and active during menopause. Our Menopause Movement Directory can help you find a local pelvic health physio or menopause fitness coach. These professionals specialise in addressing pelvic floor weakness through appropriate, safe exercise programs.
