Can you feel it in your waters?

Why the waterworks are more troublesome after menopause

May 2009

"It's only when I got better within myself, that I realised how ill I was," my friend said, as she described her recent health problems. She had been feeling tired, not quite herself, with vague pains around her abdomen. Her doctor diagnosed cystitis and treated her with antibiotics. It was a persistent infection and needed several courses of strong antibiotics, which also made her feel unwell. A double whammy!

My friend's point was that she was getting used to feeling unwell and accepting it as normal. After all, she told herself, she was no spring chicken anymore, getting older and perhaps she had better get used to it. As soon as she started to feel better, she realised this unwellness was not from ageing but from infection.

Unfortunately, after menopause, women are more prone to recurrent bladder and vaginal infections. The main reason is the lower levels of oestrogen. As the oestrogen levels drop, collagen thins and reduces as well. Collagen is the underlying supporting structure of the skin. It makes the skin look firm and smooth. When we are young we have plenty of collagen and therefore no wrinkles.

Women lose an average of 2% collagen per year for the first 10 years after menopause. This causes thinning and drying of the tissues in the vagina and urinary tract, making them more prone to inflammation and irritation. This can be experienced as:

• itching
• thrush
• vaginal discomfort
• stress incontinence
• recurrent infections.

Fortunately there is much a woman can do to help herself naturally.

Unsweetened cranberry juice is excellent for healing acute infection in the urinary tract, as well as preventing recurrent infection.

• Cranberry tablets are just as effective.
• Cranberry has powerful ingredients that make it hard for bacteria to thrive in the bladder by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall and increasing the acidity in the tissues.

A very helpful tea is made from nettle leaf, readily available from health food stores.

• Nettle has high levels of silicon, an important mineral for increasing the strength and flexibility of collagen.
• Build up your silicon levels with regular cups of nettle leaf tea, and for acute cystitis drink 3 to 10 cups a day.

The problem for many women of menopausal age and older is not just the one incidence of cystitis. That can be dealt with. It is a pattern of recurring infections in the urinary tract and vagina that is so undermining to health and vitality. Often there are no obvious symptoms. It takes a while to figure out that there really is something wrong and it is not just old age.

Increasing the level of oestrogen is of course vital to breaking the pattern. This can be done naturally with the Hormone Balancing Eating plan.

For more information about Hormone Balancing Eating plan, please contact Elizabeth Blomberg at mind body insight. You can also schedule a consultation online.