The Anatomy of the Bladder
To really understand why this issue plagues post-menopausal women, we first need to understand the biology (and anatomy) of the bladder itself:

• The kidneys are connected to the bladder via tubes called ureters. Urine flows down the ureters into the bladder. The end of a ureter is called the ureteral opening.
• The bladder is a bulb like balloon which collects urine
• The bladder is connected to the outside world by a single tube called the urethra
• There are two super important muscles (sphincters) that control the flow or urine to the outside world: one at the top of the urethra next to the bladder, and one at the bottom of the urethra where the pee comes out.

This nifty diagram shows a clearer picture of how all the various parts connect:-

Estrogen & Urinary Health (A Match Made in Heaven!)

You probably won’t be surprised to find out that estrogen plays a significant role in maintaining urinary health. There are many estrogen receptors {link to article} located in the sphincter muscles, along the urethra, and around the bladder. These estrogen receptors are there for a reason, estrogen is needed to help keep these muscles and the skin in the whole area functioning well, i.e. no leaks and able to fight off bacteria.

After menopause, when estrogen levels drop to very low levels, the lak of estrogen means that some of the cells don’t function as well, but what does that actually look like?

What Happens When Estrogen Drops?

First – if muscles aren’t functioning as well, then it is harder for them to stay tight and control the flow of urine. With weak muscles, urine will follow gravity and head downwards, whether you like it or not. Eek – leaks. Muscle strengthening exercises are all on you; kegels are a key player when it comes to maintaining vaginal health! So is estrogen and this is where Silky Peach Cream will help.

Second – let’s talk about UTI’s, (irritating), bladder infections (painful), and kidney infections (down right dangerous). With little to no estrogen, the cells that line the urethra are no longer as healthy, as strong, or as robust as they used to be. It’s a bit hard to imagine thinning skin on something as small as the urethra, but it happens. With thinner skin, it is easier for the skin to be irritated by urine, and the sides of the urethra can rub up against each other and cause irritation. It's not just about thinner skin rubbing, it also means that should bad bacteria start to colonize the opening of the urethra, it’s harder for the body to fight them off. Before long a bacterial infection can extend up the urethra into the bladder, and you will likely need an antibiotic to kill the infection. The estriol in Silky Peach Cream will help the cells of the urethra and bladder stay healthy and strong, able to fight off bacteria.

Regular rinsing and washing can become even more important as we get a little bit older. This is because we have more folds in the skin, more hiding places for bacteria to set up shop, and our innate repair processes don’t work as well as they used to. By all means use soap for cleaning around the anus to remove bacteria, but the vulva can often be safely rinsed with just water.

Collagen & Connective Tissue

Let’s also talk about collagen and connective tissue. Collagen is one of those substances in the body that helps hold everything in place – internal organs and skin in particular. We see the external effects of low collagen as wrinkles start to appear on our skin. Think about the loss of collagen happening inside the body. As the collagen that holds the uterus, colon, bladder in place starts to diminish, those organs start to sag downwards. This infinitesimally slow process of drooping will gradually increase pressure on the bladder - and we know what happens if there is extra pressure on the bladder, increased urgency to pee and less ability to hold it! A sustained supply of a little estriol supports the production of collagen and so will slow the rate of loss of this important connective tissue.

The global incontinence care products market size was valued at USD 14.30 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 24.35 billion by 2026. We think prevention is better than padding. Ladies – this issue will not clear up and go away, if you plan to live into your 80’s and 90’s let's plan to do that without diapers.

Three top tips for keeping dry and UTI free:

1. Kegels and other pelvic muscle training is a must

2. Maintain good hygiene for this tender area of your body

3. Use Silky Peach Cream estriol 2-3 times a week to make sure the urethra stays healthy and strong

Because, let’s face it, we didn’t think Pampers were serious when they said that their diapers really were for every stage, every age!