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Menopause and Urinary Infections

Urinary infections, also known as infections of the urinary tract, are one of the most common bacterial infections in women. The urinary tract is more susceptible to infections during menopause due to reduction in hormonal support. This tract, being a system for the removal of the body’s fluid wastes, is more vulnerable to multiplication of bacteria, leading to infection. Though not very serious, the urinary infections are painful. The symptoms disappear quickly after treatment with antibiotics.

Most women would experience infections of the urinary tract, at least once in their lifetimes, though many would have them repeatedly.
Menopause and Urinary Infections - Their Causes
Factors leading to increased risks of urinary infections in women are pregnancy, urinary infections as a child, diabetes and menopause. The bacteria, around the rectum or the vagina, which enter the urinary tract cause urinary infections in women. The female anatomy is prone to urinary infections as the very act, and sexual intercourse massages the bacteria into the urethra.

A weak bladder could be the cause of urinary infections. The bladder stretches to hold urine and relaxes when it is emptied of urine. When, at times, you wait a long time to empty your bladder, the bladder is overstretched and the bladder muscle becomes weak. In this state, it does not completely empty the bladder and retains some urine, which increases the risk of infection.

When you have urinary infections, you have a strong urge to urinate. The act of urination is followed by sharp pain and a burning sensation in the urethra. Some times, even when the urge is great, very little urine is released. This frequent urge to urinate is one of the symptoms of urinary infections. It is advisable to have proper diagnosis done, since during menopause similar symptoms could cause vaginal or vulva-related infections.

Ways to Prevent Urinary Infections during Menopause
The usual treatment is a course of antibiotics. Antibiotics need to be taken as prescribed and continued until the full treatment is complete. There are certain ways that you can prevent urinary infections from occurring:

First and foremost is to practice good personal hygiene.
After bowel movement and urination, wash the area around the rectum and the vagina thoroughly and ensure it is dried properly.
Washing before and after sexual intercourse is a way of preventing urinary infections. Some doctors recommend urinating before and after a sexual intercourse to flush out bacteria.
Drink plenty of water to ensure flushing out of bacteria from the urinary tract. Do not accumulate urine in the bladder, and empty it out at the earliest to reduce the risk of infections.
Cotton panties, or panties with a cotton crotch, is recommended as cotton allows moisture to evaporate. Moist environment is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Sexually active women can change sexual positions to cause less friction on the urethra. Women who tend to have frequent urinary infections are advised to take antibiotics after sexual intercourse.

Cathy writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men particularly menopause and andropause. A copy of her book can be found at www.howtoconquermenopause.com

Menopause and Blood Sugar Imbalance

As a woman, you go through profound changes during menopause, and this affects your emotional and physical health. At that time, you go through a series of metabolic changes that could lead to blood sugar imbalance, and other serious health associated problems. A study that tracked metabolic changes in women as they progressed through menopause found that one out of six women developed blood sugar imbalance. Estrogen creates blood sugar imbalance and increase in body fat storage, whereas progesterone normalizes blood sugar levels and helps use fat for energy.

During perimenopause and menopause, fat often starts to accumulate around your midriff and insulin levels start to rise. This triggers a drop in Sex-Hormone-Binding-Globulin (SHBG) levels. With the reduction of SHBG (a substance that attaches to the sex hormones in the blood to make them inert), androgens such as testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) - the bioactive ‘male’ sex hormones - begin circulating inside your body. This makes you seem more ‘manly’ in appearance and adds to your fat around your stomach.

If left unchecked, these imbalances further stimulate weight gain and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and such. If you develop blood sugar imbalance during menopause, you will show increased body fat around the stomach, higher insulin levels and lipid imbalances. You will have lower levels of the good cholesterol (HDL) and higher levels of triglycerides. A way to prevent this is to ensure that there is no weight gain during menopause and unhealthy increase in glucose and insulin.

Preventing Blood Sugar Imbalance During Menopause
Blood sugar imbalance, especially low blood sugar, is pronounced in women experiencing early menopause. Such women have a craving for sugar, carbohydrates or alcohol. Some of the signs of early menopause are:

Menstrual cycles become unpredictable

Menstrual flow becomes heavier or lighter

Low blood sugar

Fatigue for many days before menstrual cycle

Weight gain and decreased sex drive
Headaches that could become migraines

Inability to concentrate

Mood swings, irritability, or feeling depressed

Liver helps to process excess hormones to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels. You can help prevent blood sugar imbalance by:

Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and fatty acids from fried and processed foods.
Avoiding pollution.

Eating food, such as, artichoke, beets and beet greens and burdock root.
Exercising to sweat for at least 15 minutes daily.
Replacing lost fluid by drinking at least 1/3 of your body weight in ounces of water everyday.

The right kind of food works as medicine. A right diet promotes good health during menopause, assists the body to adjust itself to change, keeps the hormones more balanced and supports the endocrine system. There is a need to stabilize blood sugar levels, a need to correct blood sugar imbalance. To increase blood sugar levels when the glucose levels fall too low, the adrenal gland releases adrenalin and the pancreas releases glucagons. A quick sweet snack is an easy way to boost sugar levels.

Cathy writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men particularly menopause and andropause. A copy of her book can be found at http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com