When a post menopausal woman comes in to my clinic complaining of vaginal dryness or pain with intercourse, I get excited. No, I am not a sicko. I am excited because I know I can usually fix the problem and make a big difference in her quality of life. That is very satisfying. Women are very grateful and I become their hero. So what is going on “down there”? Well, I’ve got bad news and good news.
The bad news is that unless you are taking hormones, sooner or later it is going to happen. It is called vaginal atrophy. It means the skin and tissue in the vaginal area gets thinner and more fragile. It is caused by the decrease in estrogen which occurs during menopause. It can cause a feeling of dryness, itching and pain with sexual activity. The good news is that there is help for this problem.
Even women who may not be appropriate candidates for systemic estrogen may be able to safely use local estrogen creams with good result. There are many estrogen recepters in the vaginal area which means that a very little amount of estrogen is needed to get relief from symptoms. Because the amount needed is small, the side effects and risks are small as well. Often just a small pearl size amount of estrogen cream a couple times a week is all that is needed to maintain vaginal tissue health. Other factors which contribute to vaginal health are important to consider too.
- It is important to check for and treat any vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis, candida vaginitis (yeast) or even sexually transmitted diseases. Treating these conditions may clear up symptoms.
- Maintaining sexual activity of any kind helps good blood flow and lubrication, keeping vaginal tissues healthy. I call it the “ use it or lose it” factor. Widows or divorced women who may enter a sexual relationship after many years of abstinence are often greatly dismayed with their discomfort and greatly relieved that there is effective help for their problem.
- Over- the- counter vaginal moisturizers and lubricants can offer a good starting point for help with dryness or discomfort during intercourse. There are many good products on the shelves of any drug store. If after trying these, you still are not getting relief, see your physician or practitioner. They may end up being your hero.
March 11th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Hormone therapy is a great way to fix common issues people have with their bodies, especially with aging.
http://yovia.com/blogs/naturalhormonereplacementtherapy/2010/03/11/let-life-span-help-you-delay-the-onset-symptoms-of-aging/
March 24th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Finally, a good site that isn’t in my face trying to constantly sell me something. Thanks, please keep up the good work.
July 8th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
I have been struggling for some time with sexual arousal and vaginal dryness. I work for Zestra, but do use the product myself. Zestra is an all natural arousal oil. When I use the oil, it gives me a warm tingly feeling and heightens my sensitivity to touch. Zestra has totally helped with my overall vaginal dryness. I am finally enjoying my sex life again.
February 21st, 2011 at 10:16 am
I agree with the comments above. Really good information. I suffered from vaginal dryness for ages and it just isn’t funny. It really can cause problems in your relationship if not sorted. It is difficult explaining all the time that you don’t want to have fun in the bedroom because it hurts so much. Thanks ever so much for your help.
February 28th, 2011 at 6:39 am
This is great information. The internet is a nightmare trying to get good advice on Vaginal Dryness and I am so glad that I cam across your site. I am still suffering from vaginal dryness and so fas the doctor just hasn’t been any help at all. Just trying to shrug me off. My husband is obviously getting annoyed as I just cannot bring myself to do anything in the bedroom anymore as it is just so painful. I am going to keep this information to hand and implement straight away.
August 23rd, 2011 at 1:06 am
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October 6th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
It’s so important that we get this message out to women. This is totally treatable and no one ever needs to suffer. I think your statement “sooner or later it is going to happen. It is called vaginal atrophy is what ” The North American Menopause Society needs to make that fact clear on their website. They use statements like there maybe some vaginal dryness and thinning of the tissue. Giving the impression it might not happen to you and it’s just a little dryness when in fact it is total wasting of tissue. They need to make it clear that this doesn’t need to happen but you need to use estrogen forever.
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December 14th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
great post keep up the countless work.
December 20th, 2011 at 7:36 am
Hi, I suffered from vagina dryness for years and finally got some relief with Sylk, I also used your coconut oil recommendation and my husband and I find it to be ones of the best lubricants so thanks for that!
Have you any recommendations about this cream?
http://tighteningthevagina.com/vagina-tightening-cream-intivar-review
I would like a second option, my girlfriend recommended it to me and I’m still not sure if I should stick to Sylk.
Thanks <3
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