Vaginal Dryness

Medically termed as atrophic vaginitis, vaginal dryness refers to the lack of sufficient moisture in the vagina. Usually, the body greases the vaginal walls via a thin coat of moisture that is made of a clear liquid emitted via the blood vessel walls surrounding the vagina. But, when the estrogen level drops in the body, lubricating the walls becomes difficult resulting in this symptom during menopause. Vaginal dryness can take place at any time besides menopause, but the hormone changes during menopause increase the likelihood of the symptom. As per a study, 40 to 60 percent of women pass through vaginal dryness when they enter their menopausal stage.

It is also found that many women are not aware and/or feel uncomfortable to share their feelings about vaginal dryness. In order to treat this symptom, it is necessary that you yourself find out about this normal symptom of menopause by knowing about its symptoms, causes, and treatment options. For your physical and emotional health, keep reading the article.

 
• Itching
• Stinging
• Irritation
• Increased urinary incidence
• General distress
• Uneasiness on wearing pants
• Burning sensation
• Feeling of pressure
• Light bleeding or pain while intercoursing (must not go through)
 
• CausesWe are aware that when menopause starts in the life of a woman, the ovaries tend to generate lesser amount of estrogen and lose eggs to prepare for the termination of menses. This drop in the level of estrogen is the main cause of vaginal dryness taking place in the woman who is between 40s and 50s.
  
  The declined estrogen level has a great impact on the vulva and vaginal tissues. These two tend to turn thinner, dryer, and less elastic resulting in a condition known as atrophy. Further, the vaginal secretions due to this change also reduce leading to a decline in the moisture levels in the vagina. In addition, a drop in estrogen greatly impacts the Ph level of the vagina making the acidic area alkaline. This itself can induce irritation and increase the risk of vaginal infection.
  
  Besides this hormonal imbalance, there are many other physiological, environmental, and emotional factors that can lead or contribute to vaginal dryness. They all are listed below.
• Physical Causes
• Autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome)
• Infection (bacterial, viral, or through the intercourse)
• Certain medications – antihistamines, cold medicines, antidepressants, and cancer medicines
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that can make this symptom very severe as a side effect
• Smoking
• Consuming alcohol
 
• Environmental Causes
• Douching
• Allergic to chemicals in soaps and detergents
• Emotional Causes
• Stress - a major factor in causing or increasing the intensity of vaginal dryness
• Anxiety and depression
• Unsolved problems in relationships

So, come out of the stress regarding this symptom by knowing its probable treatments. There are many options for you to alleviate the symptoms of vaginal dryness, but there is no guarantee that you will come 100% out of it forever.

• TreatmentsIt is not necessary for the symptom of vaginal dryness to be permanent. So, try to eradicate it by first starting with some self management techniques. Even doctors recommend beginning with the least risky method and then taking up other drastic treatments in case there is no improvement. You can implement certain lifestyle changes such as dietary changes or a suitable exercise program. Further, even stress reduction techniques like meditation or yoga and communicating with your partner are useful if the symptom is due to the emotional causes. In case of dietary adjustments, recent studies say that a diet including soy flour and flaxseeds ensures vaginal health.
  
  However, these changes do not deal with the primary cause of vaginal dryness. So, to address the problem of natural decline in estrogen, the most rational way of restoring vaginal lubrication is to increase the hormonal balance in the body. This is possible via natural supplements like estrogen inducing herbs, which are the easiest, safest, and the most effective treatment options. In fact, it is recommended to combine lifestyle changes and natural supplements.
  
  Only if your case is quite severe or distressing, it is recommended adopting drugs and surgery after taking the permission or advice of a health care professional. Vaginal estrogen therapy is a possible treatment of vaginal dryness as an alternative to the hormone replacement therapy. It has comparatively lower side effects because of a low estrogen dose induced in the bloodstream.