Menopause: Blame it for everything.

But not, any longer, for the bladder problems that sometimes show up in older women.

Estrogen loss can be targeted for many ailments of old age, but seems to be wrongly faulted for urinary incontinence, according to a new study.

(The findings were published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.)

Australian researchers found that being overweight, having three or more children, and having bowel problems, were far more likely to be predictors of loss of urinary control in women than becoming postmenopausal.

Men, by the way, can also suffer from urinary incontinence, but women are five times more likely to develop the problem.

``Although menopause has been shown to be associated with urinary incontinence, evidence for it being an independent factor in (its) prevalence ... is lacking,'' the researchers said.

The study involved nearly 2,000 women aged 45-55, and a seven-year follow-up with 373 women.

It noted that hormone therapy for incontinence is controversial, with some studies finding that it was helpful for some forms of incontinence, while other studies contradicted that.

But the authors state several times in their paper that their study suggests that loss of bladder control was more likely related to ``mechanical'' causes, such as constipation, diarrhea, or exertion, rather than hormonal changes.

Why is constipation or diarrhea a factor equal with child-bearing for its impact on urinary control?

``It is our opinion that chronic constipation (straining) affects pelvic floor muscles and contributes to incontinence,'' wrote Dr. Janet R. Guthrie, with the Office for Gender and Health at The University of Melbourne, in an e-mail. ``Other authors have associated incontinence and constipation.''

The good news is that no matter what the cause, there are treatments, and Dr. Guthrie and her associates would like to see this ``major public health problem'' discussed and recognized more.

Stress urinary incontinence, loss of urine when exercising, laughing, or standing up quickly, is the most common form of this disorder, by the way.

There are nonsurgical treatments, as well as surgical methods, to improve this condition.

One of the most popular is the Kegel exercise, developed by a doctor in 1948.

It involves contracting the vaginal muscles for a count of ten 10, usually while urinating. This strengthens muscles that control the urine stream and can even improve your sex life.

A book, ``Exercises for Women'' by Rivka Gadish ($18.95, Independent Publishers Group, available in January,) is a collection of exercises aimed at strengthening muscles and preventing urine leakage.

There are biofeedback methods that can be helpful, and various devices that can be used, depending on what type of incontinence a woman has.

Biofeedback treatment using special equipment is available through specially trained physical therapists. It's more effective than medication, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that Dr. Christiane Northrup quotes in her book, ``The Wisdom of Menopause.''

So, rather than blaming the ``change of life'' for urinary incontinence and writing it off as a burden of getting older, see your doctor and do something about it.

From Coxnews.com