Guest Author - Sharon Bejin

The minute women have a hot flash their first thought is that they are going through menopause. How scary can that be!

Images of our mothers going through menopause back in the 60s or 70s are not too impressive. The same can be said about any conversation amongst women heard at that time about other women who were suffering their way through this stage of life.

What middle-aged women, including myself, need to keep in mind is that times have changed and more medical awareness and solutions are available to help women though menopause.

Nowadays, when it comes to incontinence, doctors are able to give their female patients a prescription to help alleviate incontinence.

Commercials for these medicines make light of women and incontinence and there is nothing funny about it, but the medicines do work. A day in the life of middle-aged women should not have to be planned around restrooms, pads, and limited consumption of liquids.

It is somewhat comforting to know that age itself is not the cause for incontinence. It is all about the body itself and what has been done to it. Not surprisingly, women are more apt to have incontinence than men.

Fortunately, there is help. Exercise, medicine and change in diet will all make a difference in whether one has to contend with incontinence.

First of all, there are Kegel exercises. Yes, we’ve all heard about those darn Kegels ever since giving birth, although it is a matter of making the time to do them. But, they do work if women do them until the muscles are tightened, although the muscles may not return to pre-pregnancy stage.

Detro LA is an example of a very effective medicine that allows women to go about their day without constantly going to the restroom. This prescription medicine helps relax the muscles so the urgent feeling of having to urinate subsides.

Losing weight will also help alleviate incontinence. The extra weight in the abdomen leads to pressure on the pelvic area.

Another thing that helps reduce incontinence is a change in diet. Cutting out caffeine will make a difference. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes the bladder to fill up more quickly than plain water, therefore increasing the need to go.

During menopause, the urethra may not be able to completely close due to loss of elasticity.

By making changes in lifestyle, women may see a reduction in the urge to urinate. This will make life much easier and less controlled by the need to have a bathroom nearby.