Bladder Issues in Menopause - The Hidden Bacteria You Need to Know

If bladder issues in menopause are keeping you from jumping for bone density or for jumping for joy. Or if laughing and sneezing or a need to consider hydration needs against access to a bathroom are real life and every day concerns you… we’ve got you today. 

Bladder issues in menopause don’t need to keep you from activities, and they may come with signs and symptoms that aren’t the obvious urgency, burning or leakage. The information here about testing beyond traditional options just might make you want to re-listen and share this one. 

 

My Guest:

Dr Kelly McCann is a board certified internist and pediatrician specializing in functional, integrative and environmental medicine. She graduated Brown undergrad, Tulane Med School, fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Her medical practice, the Spring Center, is located in Southern California. She hosted virtual summits on MCAS and can be found on many podcasts, summits and @drkellymccann.

 

Questions We Answer in This Episode:

• [00:09:09] What is a bacterial biofilm and how does that relate to bladder issues in women?
• [00:08:21] How do you know if you have a biofilm colonization?
• [00:13:26] Can you explain the testing technology and how it differs from a urinalysis and urine culture?
• [00:25:09] Other than UTIs and bladder issues, what might be some other signs that bacterial biofilms might be an issue? 
• [00:26:55] Are there other things that we should understand about this? (often associated with hypercoagulability which can mean an increased risk for heart disease)
• [00:30:58] Are there other options before or instead of antibiotics? If you personally got results back suggesting you do have bacteria, would you go the route of herbs or antibiotics? 
• [00:35:00] Cost of the test? And is it covered? 

 

Bacterial Biofilm as Bladder Issues in Menopause

 

What is a Bacterial Biofilm?

• Mucus-like structures where bacteria live, can be found in the mouth, nose, GI tract, vagina, etc.
• These bacterial “homes” protect microbes from detection in standard lab tests. That means you can have symptoms, but your test results still show “normal.”

 

What is Next Generation Sequencing?

• Gives a complete and accurate picture of what’s causing  your symptoms, even when your urinalysis and cultures are ‘normal’.
• Procedure:
  • Scans the DNA of everything present in your sample (e.g. urine).
  • Matches it to a vast DNA library of known organisms.
  • Identifies exactly which microbes are in your bladder, how many, and in what percentages.
  • .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}