Do you find yourself constantly running to the bathroom? It may seem like you have to pee every hour (or maybe every other hour). Depending on who you ask, this might not be viewed as a problem but merely a symptom of aging.

And it’s true: A host of changes happen to your body as you get older, including bladder issues. While urinary incontinence affects people differently ― especially with age ― there are a few explanations for why you may experience this.

We asked gynecologists, urologists and pelvic floor therapists to delve into the common reasons you have to pee more frequently as you get older. Here’s what to know:

According to the North American Menopause Society, estrogen levels tend to decrease when people enter the early stages of menopause, also known as perimenopause.

“Estrogen is an integral hormone for maintaining bladder wall strength,” said Dr. Monica Grover, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at VSPOT. “As it declines, the tissues supporting the bladder wall start to become weak and stiff, thus increasing the frequency to urinate.”

You may want to talk with your doctor about getting your estrogen levels checked if you think this could be part of the problem. Signs of decreased estrogen, particularly as a result of menopause, may include breast tenderness, frequent urinary tract infections and bone loss.

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more of the pelvic organs (bladder, bowels, uterus) are not optimally supported by the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments.

“If your bladder prolapses, it can sag into your front vaginal wall where residual urine can hang out after your pee,” said Sara Reardon, board-certified pelvic physical therapist and founder of The Vagina Whisperer. “Therefore you feel like you don’t empty completely and shortly after peeing, you may feel like you have to go again.”

While you’ll want to talk with your doctor about ways to strengthen your pelvic floor, kegel exercises can be helpful.

According to the Urology Care Foundation, about 10 in 25 women and 3 in 25 men will have symptoms of a urinary tract infection during their lifetime.

“As women age and progress through menopause, the diminished estrogen reserves change vaginal tissue to become more dry as well as the vaginal pH,” Grover said. “As a result, women do not experience the typical telltale signs of a UTI ― such as pain ― but will most likely experience frequent urination.”

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I feel like my bladder has gotten smaller”? That actually does happen as you age.

“The amount of urine it takes for someone to get the urge to go is less with aging and the amount of urine the bladder can hold is less,” Reardon said. “Often this is why aging women get diagnosed with Overactive Bladder because the bladder becomes more sensitive and shrinks.”

In particular, the elastic tissue becomes stiffer and the bladder becomes less stretchy, which tends to cause more frequent urination.

Constipation is more common with aging and it actually can lead to more urinary urgency.

“If the colon and rectum are full of poop, this actually can put pressure on your bladder, causing it to feel like you have more urgency to pee,” Reardon said.

Addressing constipation with exercise, dietary fiber, hydration and proper pooping mechanics can actually help your bladder urgency.

As you age, the likelihood of having chronic illnesses and taking multiple medications increases.

“Certain medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease can lead to increased urine production,” said Dr. Anat Sapan, board certified OB-GYN and menopause expert. “Similarly, many medications, such as diuretics commonly used for high blood pressure, can increase urinary frequency.”

If you’re the type of person who drinks a cup of coffee (or two) and likes to drink, whether that’s a glass of wine or beer, then that might be the reason you have to pee so much.

“Caffeine and alcohol are both bladder irritants and diuretics, which increase your body’s tendency to excrete water through urine,” said Dr. Andrew Y. Sun, board-certified urologist and chief medical adviser for Marius Pharmaceuticals. “Limiting the consumption of coffee, soda, wine, cocktails — even chocolate — can help reduce the need to pee frequently.”

As men age, the prostate naturally increases in size, squeezing the urethra so that instead of peeing through a fire hose, you’re peeing through a cocktail straw instead.

“If the prostate gets tight, then the bladder has to work extra hard to pump the urine out through this tighter opening,” Sun said. “Over time, because the bladder is ‘working out’ so much, it becomes thicker and more spastic, which can cause overactive bladder and frequency of urination.”

Treatments for this problem include medication to relax and shrink the prostate or surgical procedures to open it up.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45. A common symptom of Type 2 diabetes is frequent urination, which might explain the need to pee more as you get older.

“Generally there’s a build up of glucose in the blood which forces the kidneys to work harder to filter and absorb the extra sugar,” said Dr. Erica Montes, a physician and an adviser for pH-D Feminine Health. “However, when the kidneys can’t keep up, the extra sugar goes into the urine which could lead to more frequent urination.”

If you suspect you’re dealing with any of these issues ― or you’re just generally peeing more than you feel is normal ― chat with your doctor. They can run tests to figure out the culprit and find you some relief.

Remember when you used to slap on a coat of lipstick as you dashed out the door — and still managed to look great? If you’re anywhere north of 50, it’s likely those days are over.

You may have already noticed how lipstick tends to run into even the finest lines around your mouth, leaving you with a smeary mess that can’t be blotted away with tissues.

Fortunately, there are smart, savvy makeup artists who have shared their expertise with us. They offered some insight on why our lipstick seems to suddenly turn on us.

Michelle Wong, the cosmetic chemist behind the popular site Lab Muffin, said: “As you get older, your skin tends to thin and develop more lines and furrows, which act as ‘channels’ for lipstick, which has pigments that are slightly soluble in the product’s oils.”’

Is there an official name for this new indignity? “It’s called lipstick ‘feathering,’ because instead of a sharp, crisp line around the lips, it can look like a feather around the edges — a bit soft and never defined,” explained makeup artist Mila Thomas.

After all those years of aiming for moist, glossy lips, you’re going to need to transition away from those types of products. “Oily, liquid lip products are more prone to feathering,” Wong said. “Lip glosses applied on top of lipsticks are common culprits.”

Makeup artist Jamie Greenberg said that matte products might be a better fit for an older cosmetics user. “Anything too wet, glossy or thick will make the problem worse,” she said.

Thomas explained the reason why: “If the formula is too wet, it will more easily bleed into the skin beyond the lip line.”

There are techniques to avoid out-of-control pigment from spreading all over your face. But you’ll need to do a little pre-work before applying your favorite lippy.

It’s going to take some trial and error as you experiment with products and application methods. “I know it’s super-annoying, but there’s a technique out there for everyone,” said Jeanine Lobell, makeup artist and founder of the Neen cosmetics brand.

“It can help to exfoliate the lips daily, and to use lip balm each day to keep lips smooth,” Thomas said. Greenberg suggested using a lip scrub on and above the lips, too. If you want to do even more to set your lips up for success, she suggested using a nighttime lip mask.

Now that you’re exfoliated, balmed and masked, here’s how to apply lipstick so it stays where you put it.

1. Start with a mattifier/filler. “Put it on the lip line, going on the skin and in the outer corners,” Lobell said.

2. Apply lip-filling primer to smooth skin and create a barrier between your lipstick and any natural oils.

3. Brush on lip stain for a long-lasting color base.

4. Outline: Greenberg recommended lining lips with a flesh-toned concealer or lip pencil to create a barrier between the lipstick and the fine lines around your lips.

   Lobell outlined the process she uses: “Fill in the lip line, overdrawing very slightly. It’s very important not to draw all the way to the outer corner, because stopping a little short of the lip line is more flattering. Once you’ve applied liner, even if your lip color migrates, it will be held in place by the liner.”

5. Brush on lipstick: Greenburg uses a lip brush instead of applying the lipstick directly. “Brush out from the pout of your lips outwards,” she advised.

6. Blot: Thomas said, “Take a tissue and split it apart so it’s only one-ply. After you apply one coat of lipstick, lightly blot lips with the tissue.”

7. Add another coat: “The two-coat layering technique, with blotting in between, will make the color more long-lasting and help it stay in place,” Greenberg explained,

8. Finally, a bit of powder: “Dab the entire lip area with a bit of translucent powder and you should be ready to go,” Greenberg said.

“Use a more matte long-wear color for better control,” Lobell said. “A matte lipstick that’s full-coverage with a smudge-resistant finish is going to ‘travel’ less than other formulas.”

Still craving a bit of shine? “Keep gloss away from the edges of your lips, and apply it sparingly,” Wong said.

“If you need your gloss, keep it more centered on the lips when you apply it, tap lips together, and allow the extra to make it evenly shiny,” Lobell said. “If you love a creamy formula, tap the lips with blotting paper after you apply it.”

Check out the makeup artists’ top picks below.

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“Drink in moderation” is advice we hear often, but as most people can attest to after a booze-filled holiday season, it isn’t easy to stick to.

When we can stick to moderate drinking, however, we usually feel pretty good about ourselves.

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking is defined as no more than two drinks per day for men, and no more than one drink per day for women. That means if we have a glass of wine after work every day, we’re not doing much harm to our bodies and brains, right? That depends.

Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, a geriatrician and dementia expert, tells HuffPost that the way alcohol impacts the body will vary based on your age. If your 2024 goals include plans to drink in moderation, here’s what she wants you to know.

Your 20s, Landsverk says, are a resilient time for the body — which is probably why hangovers aren’t nearly as bad during that decade. “The liver and brain have the most resilience during that time,” she said. “The frontal lobes (reasoning, and judgment) are not quite developed. One is more likely to be open to drinking more or taking more risks, and this can set habits that will cause problems down the line.”

You probably won’t notice a huge difference as you head into your 30s as long as you’re drinking moderately, but it’s important to keep your overall health in mind. “Ask yourself: How is your health otherwise? Obesity, which is epidemic in America, increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver,” Landsverk said. “Alcohol increases the risk of liver disease and scarring (cirrhosis). As a geriatrician, I would say a glass or two a week is fine. Some doctors say one drink a day is fine, but it is also neurotoxic and that can catch up with you.”

In your 40s, more health risks begin to pop up, Landsverk explains. “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol all increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes and small stroke dementia,” she said. If you’re living with any of these conditions, even a small amount of alcohol can further increase your risk of events like heart attacks or strokes, so keep that in mind.

Once you hit your 50s, Landsverk says, even moderate drinking can wreak havoc on the body. “Alcohol, besides the vascular damage and dementia risks, increases the risk of breast cancer, esophageal cancer and liver cancer (after disease),” she said. Because cancer risk drastically increases as we age, adding any amount of alcohol into the mix will only further increase that risk. “Plus, as we age, good sleep is more elusive,” Landsverk added. “Substances like caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol all hinder sleep”

In your 60s, you’ll likely begin to feel the effects of moderate drinking on your body. “I can speak from experience: This is the age when tolerance may decrease dramatically,” Landsverk said. “I am healthy. I can ski or swim a mile, but a glass of wine makes me feel ill and slow the next day.”

This, she says, is because older people are more likely to lose the enzyme to metabolize alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase). “At this point, I can tolerate about one glass a week,” Landsverk noted. “If I had it daily, I would feel sick with just one glass a day. Older people have less reserve in the brain, liver and kidneys. The damage to the brain from even one glass a day is worse [when you’re over 60].”

Landsverk suggests that you think of alcoholic beverages like candy bars. “They’re nice with some meals, but they can increase your weight and blood sugar, and over decades adds to cancer risk and chronic illnesses that can lead to poor health.”

If you want to stay as healthy as possible and feel your best as you age, do you have to give up alcohol completely? No, Landsverk emphasizes, and it’s important to remember to remember that other factors influence the impact alcohol has on your health and well-being, such as if you’re living with a disease like obesity or hypertension.

If you’re older and in generally good health, you shouldn’t worry too much about the occasional alcoholic beverage. That’s certainly the case for Landsverk. “I have decided that a glass of wine with a nice meal is worth it,” she said. “But not every night.”