Q: Are my bladder infections treatable with hormones?

You say you've had itchiness and dryness and get bladder infections fairly regularly. Those symptoms are completely consistent with the absence of circulating estrogen to the genitals. Until recently, this condition would have been called vulvovaginal atrophy; its current name, genitourinary symptom of menopause, does a better job of describing that it affects both the urinary system and the genitals.

Women have estrogen receptors throughout their bodies, but they're most concentrated in the vagina, vulva, and lower urinary tract. In the absence of estrogen, symptoms in that area are more notable. That's the bad news.

The good news is that there are steps we can take to keep our tissues healthy and vital. See our website's suggestions for vaginal comfort, and I encourage women to consider, with their menopause care providers, the use of localized hormones.