Dribble..dribble...Leak...Leak...Gush...gush...flow!
Any idea what today's talk is about? You get 10 points if you figured out it is....Incontinence.
Bladder leakage, or in med-speak, Urinary Incontinence, is a little discussed side effect of menopause, but a common one many women experience. When estrogen levels decrease, your pelvic floor muscles begin to weaken and atrophy. Remember what happens to a muscle when it atrophies: it basically dies, or stops functioning in a normal way. These pelvic floor muscles control the act of conscious urination, conscious defecation and help support the musculature around your female sex organs. Notice I described these acts as conscious. That means that you are aware you have to go to the bathroom from the signals your body is sending to your brain allowing you to realize it's time to...well... go. None of use really remembers our toilet training days, but this is how we evolved out of the diaper stage. We recognized the signals our body was sending us when we had to go, we learned to control the urge not to let loose until we made it to the bathroom, and then all was well.
But lately you may have noticed that when you sneeze, or laugh, or cough, a little bit of dribbling occurs that you are unable to control. Or in some cases, a full gush. This is not only unpleasant, but can be very embarrassing if it happens in mixed company. I'm sure you've all seen a woman of a certain age laughing with her legs crossed tightly, sitting uncomfortably while she laughs. You can bet that chick has a little urine dribbling out.
Now don't worry. This doesn't mean you have to run to the drugstore immediately and stock up on Depends, or Poise products. Although, having a few on hand is not a bad idea.
There are some ways you can help strengthen those waning muscles.
Obviously, if you are taking estrogen replacement meds, this will have a positive effect. But if you're med-free, there is a very good way to help tighten those muscles up again. It's called KEGEL'S exercise. In 1948, Arnold Kegel promoted the idea of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles by repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles of the lower pubic area. To the do the exercise correctly, pretend you need to urinate. Now, contract the muscles in the pelvic area as if you were going to "hold it in." Now relax them and contract them again, several times. Another way I've heard to describe how this is done is to pretend you need to pass gas. Don't let it out! Squeeze all those muscles together to prevent this imaginary fart and do it several times in a row. When you repeatedly exercise a muscle, you strengthen it. Performing Kegel's several times a day not only helps prevent incontinence, it can improve your sex life. How, you say? By tightening the same area. The tighter and stronger you pelvic area is, the better and more pleasurable intercourse can be. So even if you're not having any incontinence issues, this is still a great exercise with benefits!
I'm going to include several links here to help you get the idea of how to do this correctly.
http://bit.ly/17LRWnP
http://bit.ly/16xJOag
http://mayocl.in/16xJUie
Any of these articles are good references and doing the exercises will only benefit your health and well being in the long run.
Bladder leakage, or in med-speak, Urinary Incontinence, is a little discussed side effect of menopause, but a common one many women experience. When estrogen levels decrease, your pelvic floor muscles begin to weaken and atrophy. Remember what happens to a muscle when it atrophies: it basically dies, or stops functioning in a normal way. These pelvic floor muscles control the act of conscious urination, conscious defecation and help support the musculature around your female sex organs. Notice I described these acts as conscious. That means that you are aware you have to go to the bathroom from the signals your body is sending to your brain allowing you to realize it's time to...well... go. None of use really remembers our toilet training days, but this is how we evolved out of the diaper stage. We recognized the signals our body was sending us when we had to go, we learned to control the urge not to let loose until we made it to the bathroom, and then all was well.
But lately you may have noticed that when you sneeze, or laugh, or cough, a little bit of dribbling occurs that you are unable to control. Or in some cases, a full gush. This is not only unpleasant, but can be very embarrassing if it happens in mixed company. I'm sure you've all seen a woman of a certain age laughing with her legs crossed tightly, sitting uncomfortably while she laughs. You can bet that chick has a little urine dribbling out.
Now don't worry. This doesn't mean you have to run to the drugstore immediately and stock up on Depends, or Poise products. Although, having a few on hand is not a bad idea.
There are some ways you can help strengthen those waning muscles.
Obviously, if you are taking estrogen replacement meds, this will have a positive effect. But if you're med-free, there is a very good way to help tighten those muscles up again. It's called KEGEL'S exercise. In 1948, Arnold Kegel promoted the idea of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles by repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles of the lower pubic area. To the do the exercise correctly, pretend you need to urinate. Now, contract the muscles in the pelvic area as if you were going to "hold it in." Now relax them and contract them again, several times. Another way I've heard to describe how this is done is to pretend you need to pass gas. Don't let it out! Squeeze all those muscles together to prevent this imaginary fart and do it several times in a row. When you repeatedly exercise a muscle, you strengthen it. Performing Kegel's several times a day not only helps prevent incontinence, it can improve your sex life. How, you say? By tightening the same area. The tighter and stronger you pelvic area is, the better and more pleasurable intercourse can be. So even if you're not having any incontinence issues, this is still a great exercise with benefits!
I'm going to include several links here to help you get the idea of how to do this correctly.
http://bit.ly/17LRWnP
http://bit.ly/16xJOag
http://mayocl.in/16xJUie
Any of these articles are good references and doing the exercises will only benefit your health and well being in the long run.
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