Who hasn’t laughed so hard or sneezed so strongly that they haven’t peed themselves? Urinary incontinence (aka urine leakage or bladder leakage) can affect both men and women, although a significant percentage of those who live with this issue are middle- aged to older women in menopause and postmenopause.

In fact, according to D. Nighat Arif, a specialist in women’s health, “Whether you’re young or old, fit or not, you can experience leaks.” However, research shows that more than 50 percent of postmenopausal women experience urinary incontinence. So what’s the story about menopause and urinary incontinence and what can you do about it?

Read about urinary incontinence, eliminating this health taboo

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. Not all urinary incontinence has the same mechanisms, although the end result is the same: leakage. For example, you may experience one or more of the following:

• Stress incontinence. This is caused by weak pelvic floor muscles. Urine leakage that occurs when you laugh, sneeze, exercise, cough, or lift heavy objects falls into this category. Stress incontinence is commonly seen among women in perimenopause, but it doesn’t get worse during menopause.
• Overactive bladder. Also known as urge incontinence, it is caused by an overly active or irritated bladder. If you have an overactive bladder, you experience frequent and sudden urges to urinate. An overactive bladder causes many women to avoid socializing because they are afraid they won’t be able to find a bathroom on time.
• Nocturia. This is the habit of waking up several times a night to urinate, which disrupt sleep and can lead to daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

Why does urinary incontinence occur during menopause?

As estrogen levels begin to decline during perimenopause into menopause, the lining of the urethra begins to thin. In the meantime, the pelvic muscles may weaken with age, and the combination of these conditions increases the risk for urinary incontinence in women. However, urinary incontinence is not inevitable with aging, menopause, or postmenopause and it can be managed successfully.

How can you manage urinary incontinence naturally?

You have a number of lifestyle tips at your disposal to help you manage urinary incontinence naturally.

Kegel exercises. These pelvic exercises can be done just about anywhere, any time of the day. Kegel exercises are a type of physiotherapy, an approach that has been found to be successful in up to 80 percent of individuals with stress incontinence.

The practice of Kegel exercises involves contracting your pelvic muscles (pubococcygeus muscles specifically) and strengthening them so they can help maintain control over involuntary urine flow. Here’s how it’s done: squeeze the muscles that control urination, holding the squeeze for 8 to 10 seconds, then releasing it. Repeat this sequence up to 10 times and do several sessions a day. Practice daily and after several months (yes, you need to be patient), you will see results. 

Pads or liners. A wide variety of pads or panty liners are available on the market for management of urinary incontinence in women. Because the skin in the genital area is sensitive, be sure to choose organic, chlorine-free, plastic-free, safe products that are also biodegradable.

Eliminate caffeine. That means coffee, tea (except herbal), chocolate, and energy drinks. One study found that women who consumed about 3 cups of coffee daily (approximately 329 milligrams of caffeine) were 70 percent more likely to develop urinary incontinence than women who didn’t consume caffeine.

Try behavior therapy. Keep a record of when you urinate and when you experience leakage. When you see a pattern in your urinary incontinence, you can plan to go to the bathroom before an accident occurs. If you combine this approach with Kegel exercises, you can expect even better results.

Lose weight. If you are overweight, dropping extra pounds can help manage urine leakage because you relieve pressure on your bladder.

Check medications. Use of some medications has been linked to urinary incontinence and can make it worse. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing bladder leakage and are taking antidepressants, antipsychotics, alpha-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, oral estrogen, and sedative-hypnotics, among others. 

Read about urinary incontinence, the causes, effects, and natural remedies

When to see your doctor

If your bladder leakage is disrupting your lifestyle and you are unable to get adequate management with natural means, or you suspect medications may be contributing to the problem, consult your healthcare provider. You should also seek medical attention if urine leakage is accompanied by fever, chills, or symptoms of a urinary tract infection such as pain when urinating or foul smelling urine.

Bottom Line

Urinary incontinence affects more than 50 percent of postmenopausal women and a significant percentage of those in their perimenopausal and menopausal years. You can take various natural approaches to beat this potentially life-disrupting symptom.