Bladder Infections, Cystitis, After the Menopause

Bladder infections, cystitis, can become more prevalent in women after the menopause due to the lessening of the presence of the female hormones which has various effects on her body.

Bladder infections occur much more frequently at any age, in women than in men, due to the anatomical difference between the sexes. Bacteria, usually E. Coli, find their way into the bladder via the urethra, which of course is much shorter in women than it is in men. The urethra is the tube which drains urine from the bladder.

The changes that occur in a woman after the menopause, can make her more susceptible to bladder infections, cystitis. These changes are:

* Due to the hormonal changes the pH of the vagina changes so that there are fewer of the good bacteria which keep the bad bacteria at bay.

* Increased vaginal dryness and thinning of the tissues or atrophy, and also the tissues of the urethra. This thinning along with the loss of elasticity makes the urethra and bladder more vulnerable to infection. This can also actually make the urethra shorter which makes the journey of the bacteria to the bladder even shorter.

* A pelvic prolapse with a 'dropped' bladder can lead to improper emptying of urine and urine pools in the bladder. This relatively stagnant urine can allow bacteria to grow and cause an infection. Incidentally urine is sterile to begin with.

* Because your bladder becomes less elastic as you age it may not empty completely. That allows urine to collect, and create a hospitable environment for bacteria, thereby encouraging infection.

* In addition diabetes, which affects many parts of the body, including the urinary system, becomes more common as people age. Diabetes can give rise to bladder infections because of the raised levels of glucose in the urine upon which bacteria can thrive.

There are many things that you can do to help yourself. These can be approached from two angles - prevention of an infection and managing the symptoms of an infection. One thing you may wish to do which will address both angles, is take D-Mannose, which is a simple sugar similar to glucose, except that it passes through the body undigested and unchanged. D-Mannose can be taken daily prophylactically to minimize the likelihood of an infection developing. It can also be taken to manage and get rid of an infection.

For your convenience it is available in both tablet and powder form. Taken in the powder form in a drink, 90% of it reaches the bladder within the hour. It is for this reason that it can provide such rapid relief.

It is great to know that even though a woman may be naturally more vulnerable to bladder infections after the menopause, there is a lot she can do to help herself, and D-Mannose is very important in this respect.