Stress and Women

Stress incontinence is often caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. As these muscles lose tone, your bladder can drop from its normal position. When this happens, the urethra may not close all the way, resulting in leakage. When you cough, sneeze, laugh, or work out, the extra pressure on your abdomen may cause you to wet your pants.

Who's At Risk:

Just about any woman, from your teenage daughter to your grandma. Women go through many physical changes in their lives, and any of them can result in weakened pelvic floor muscles:

- Menopause
- Getting pregnant and having a baby
- Having surgery
- Menstruation

Natural remedies can help. You'll want to look for a remedy that contains both water-soluble pumpkin seed extract and soy germ extract. Pumpkin seed has a long history of use for urinary problems, and soy extract contains phyto-estrogrens, which are especially helpful for post-menopausal women. These remedies are safe and effective, with few, if any side effects.

A number of sociocultural studies indicate that stress may increase the risk of alcoholism. In other words, an individual's ability to cope with stressful situations may indicate his or her vulnerability to alcoholism.

A study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has found that individuals with a family history of alcoholism exhibit a dysfunction in their stress response prior to the development of alcohol dependence, while individuals without a family history of alcoholism exhibit a dysfunction in their stress response following the development of alcohol dependence.