What is vaginal dryness?
Vaginal dryness is a common disorder that occurs in the years following menopause, due to the disappearance of estrogen. Forty-seven percent of women are affected as early as three years after the last menstrual cycle, a percentage destined to increase if left untreated.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms related to this problem are uncomfortable itching, irritable mucous membranes, secretions, small hemorrhages during intercourse and bad odor. The dryness causes difficulty in penetration, resulting in intense pain due to abrasions at the vaginal entrance. These abrasions are accompanied by bladder disorders, burning during urination and cystitis, which can occur 24 to 72 hours after intercourse.
What are the causes?
In the gynecological field, the cause of vaginal dryness is related to the lack of female hormones that are essential for fertility and good health: estrogens. The lack of these hormones modifies the structures involved in the elimination of urine, causing urination disorders and cystitis. Estrogens generally decrease with menopause, but factors such as smoking, surgical removal of the ovaries, cancer therapies and breastfeeding also have a significant impact. In addition, psychophysical stress and lack of sexual arousal are typically associated with this phenomenon.
What is the treatment?
The causes of vaginal dryness are of various types, as well as their treatments, but one thing is certain: it can be overcome and treated with the help of a gynecologist. A first therapy is vaginal estrogen, which consists of applying estrogen-based medications directly into the vagina. Creams can be applied, rings can be inserted and replaced after three months or capsules can be used to be inserted into the vagina two or three times a week. Hormone Replacement Therapy may become indispensable when vaginal dryness is accompanied by other typical menopausal disorders, such as hot flashes. On the other hand, during the fertile age the contraceptive pill can help, although sometimes it is especially the “ultralight” pill that causes vaginal dryness. In this case, it is possible to resort to lubricants applied directly to the genital organs. As far as natural remedies and supplements are concerned, soy and its derivatives are among the most effective.