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Incontinence
Why It's Happening:
Some studies indicate that as many as 56 percent of perimenopausal women have stress incontinence. "Stress incontinence commonly occurs in perimenopause," says Lisa Masterson, M.D., an attending ob-gyn at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "This is because the angle of the urethra has changed, due to loss of elasticity in tissue caused by childbirth and diminished estrogen levels."
What You Can Do:
Fear of losing control in a passionate moment can make incontinence a sexual health problem. Doing regular Kegel exercises can help prevent incontinence. If you're wondering what a Kegel is, it's a contraction of your pelvic floor muscles that you can do anytime, anywhere. It helps improve the muscle tone around the opening of the bladder as well as around the vagina.
"You can isolate the muscles you need for Kegels by stopping urination in mid-stream," says Masterson. "Try contracting your muscles for 10 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat this 15 times and try to work up to doing it three times a day."
Check out your exercise form by placing a hand on your abdomen while you do the Kegels. If your stomach moves during the contraction, you're doing the exercise incorrectly.
It's also worth noting that there are various prescription drugs and devices for incontinence. To learn more about these, schedule an appointment with a urologist specializing in female urology.
See These Related Resources:
Discover Kegel exercises with this fun quiz
What every woman should know about incontinence
Know your incontinence facts? (quiz)
Talk about it in the Menopause forum
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