Women’s Hormone Care May Help Recurring UTIs in Menopause

Menopause may increase your risk for recurring UTIs, which are uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Women’s hormone care may help reduce negative symptoms of menopause.

Many women notice that they start to get recurring urinary tract infections during menopause. Declining estrogen levels during menopause may cause changes in your bladder that make you more susceptible to urinary tract infections. However, women’s hormone care may help with recurring UTIs during menopause. Women’s hormone care helps reduce symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances that many women experience during menopause, and there may be a link between estrogen and bladder changes as we age.

Menopause Increases Your Risk for Urinary Tract Infections

During menopause, your bladder’s volume and elasticity decline. This makes your bladder less able to hold the urine in your bladder. Therefore, you may notice that you need to use the restroom more frequently after menopause. Paired with thinning vaginal walls and a thinning urethra, this may increase the likelihood for UTIs. In fact, your risk for urinary tract infections increases within four to five years after your final period. However, women’s hormone care works to help reduce the symptoms of menopause and may also help keep your urinary tract bacteria-free.

How Women’s Hormone Care May Help

Decreasing estrogen levels during menopause may contribute to recurring UTIs. Your bladder contains many estrogen receptors, which may be affected during menopause. Researchers conducted a study to determine how estrogen replacement therapy affects urinary tract infections during menopause and found some positive results. The group who received women’s hormone care for menopause symptoms also reduced the number of urinary tract infections they experienced. The researchers also compared the estrogen replacement therapy group to a group who took low dose preventative antibiotics that are often prescribed for recurring UTIs. Therefore, hormone therapy may help with frequent UTIs during menopause.

Women’s Hormone Care May Help Improve Your Vaginal Microbiome

One theory proposes that women’s hormone care helps prevent UTIs because it improves the vaginal microbiome. Your vagina has its own ecosystem of bacteria that may help protect your urethra from harmful bacteria such as E. coli. A common type of bacteria found in the vagina, Lactobacillus, produce lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide which can help prevent pathogens from traveling toward the urethra. However, declining estrogen levels during menopause may also decrease the amount of Lactobacillus in your vagina, leaving your urinary tract more vulnerable during menopause. However, hormone therapy may help restore your vaginal microbiome and help fight off bacteria that could cause UTIs.

At HerKare, we provide comprehensive healthcare for women. Our providers help you find the women’s hormone care options that work for you and help you feel better. If menopause has you feeling poorly, our goal is to help you feel like yourself again. We take your individual needs into account when developing a treatment plan to help address your symptoms. Our team is with you every step of the way, even after you’ve started your treatment plan. We stay up to date with your progress and help you adjust your treatment plan as needed. At HerKare, there is no one-size-fits-all care. Schedule your appointment online today to learn how we can help you feel better. We are here to help.