Vaginal Dryness Symptoms

For many women going through menopause, vaginal dryness can be a deeply troubling symptom affecting both sexual and overall quality of life. Despite the awkwardness of discussing what for some people may be an embarrassing symptom, it is important that women are informed on how to overcome vaginal dryness. Take a look over the following paragraphs outlining the best ways on handling vaginal dryness symptoms.

What exactly is vaginal dryness?

vaginal dryness mucus Vaginal dryness, put simply, is the loss of the usual moist and soft feel of the lining of the vagina. The vagina is typically kept moist by mucus membranes at the mouth of the uterus. The female hormone estrogen supports these membranes in producing lubrication that works to keep the vagina moist, strong, and to avoid the painful frictions as a result of vaginal dryness. The lubricant also has a minor acidity level that helps protect the vagina from foreign bacteria.

Vaginal dryness often produces pain during sex, which obviously affects good sexual health and can put undue strain on some relationships.

What are the causes of vaginal dryness?

As a woman experiences menopause, estrogen production begins to slow down before stopping completely. As this happens, a number of changes take place in the female body. Periods become irregular and eventually stop, many women experience night sweats and hot flashes, there are frequent mood swings and a noticeable increase in facial hair. Another change is vaginal dryness, and close to one out of three women will experience this unfortunate phenomenon as they go through menopause.

Keep it simple:

If you´re exercising or being active and notice your heart accelerating, stop what you´re doing and take a rest. A rapid heart rate is a pretty sure sign your body needs a break.

Whilst menopause is the principle cause of vaginal dryness in women, estrogen levels can drop from a host of factors including:

• Childbirth and breastfeeding.
• Chemotherapy treatment (as undergone as a cancer treatment).
• Removal of the ovaries.
• Certain medications (anti-estrogen medication).

More specifically, vaginal dryness can be the result of:

vaginal dryness moisture • Sjorgren´s syndrome (an autoimmune disorder which attacks moisture producing cells).
• Antidepressants along with some allergy and cold medication.
• Douching.
• Insufficient foreplay before commencing sexual intercourse.

How can I overcome the symptoms of vaginal dryness?

One of the most common treatments for vaginal dryness due to low estrogen levels is topical estrogen therapy. Topical estrogen replaces some of the hormone that your body is no longer making. This serves to relieve vaginal symptoms, but it doesn’t put as much estrogen in your bloodstream as oral hormone replacement therapy (HRT). When taken for long periods, HRT has been linked to an increased risk for breast cancer, heart disease, and strokes.

Because vaginal dryness is caused by decreased levels of estrogen in the body, any recovery program must focus on increasing estrogen back to stable levels. A healthy diet and exercise regimen often facilitates greatly in this task. Indeed, the healthier the body, the healthier the hormone levels tend to be. On top of this, alternative medicines are enjoying great popularity for treating the symptoms of menopause. Some alternative remedies work by stimulating the body´s own hormone production systems, thus eliminating the need for outside estrogen sources.

Click on the following link to learn more about treatments for the symptoms of vaginal dryness.