Dry vagina: symptoms, causes, to treatment

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Definition

What is vaginal dryness?

Vaginal dryness is a condition that occurs when these sex organs lose their natural moisture or lubrication. Loss of moisture makes the vaginal walls thin and stretched because it means that there are only a few cells that emit moisture.

Drought is more likely to occur with age due to changes in hormone production.

Vaginal dryness is not always a problem for most women. However, it can interfere with sex life. Sexual intercourse will be more painful because the vagina is not moistened with natural lubricants.

How common is this condition?

Every woman's vagina can dry out at any time. However, vaginal dryness is more common in women who have or have recently entered menopause.

Reporting from Journal of Job Medical College, about 20 percent of women experience this condition before and after menopause.

Vaginal dryness that is affected by aging cannot be prevented, but can be treated in the right way.

There are several treatments that can be done to help overcome this problem. So, consult a doctor to find the exact cause and the right treatment.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of vaginal dryness?

This condition will experience various symptoms such as:

• Pain or itching in and around the vagina
• Pain during sex Dry vaginal tissue will become less elastic, so bleeding after sex is very likely.
• Urinating more than usual
• Have repeated urinary tract infections
• The vagina feels hot

There may be some signs or symptoms not listed above. If you are concerned about other symptoms, please consult a doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

Even though it occurs naturally and does not endanger health, you still need to be vigilant if:

• Experiencing abnormal vaginal discharge
• Bleeding after sex or outside the menstrual cycle
• Already doing various home remedies but to no avail
• Interfering with daily activities

When you feel various symptoms of vaginal dryness, it never hurts to see a doctor. The reason is, vaginal dryness can also be a sign of a more serious health problem and is more than just a symptom of menopause.

Cause

What causes vaginal dryness?

Vaginal dryness is mainly caused by decreased estrogen levels. In fact, estrogen keeps the tissue lining the vagina thick, moist, and healthy.

When the levels decrease, the vaginal lining automatically becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic. This change is known as vaginal atrophy.

There are many things that make estrogen levels decrease dramatically, namely:

• Menopause
• During childbirth and breastfeeding
• Are undergoing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation
• Take anti-estrogen medications to treat breast cancer or endometriosis such as Lupron or Zoladex

Apart from lowering estrogen levels, other causes of vaginal dryness are quoted from Healthline, namely:

Sjogren's Syndrome

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the salivary glands and tears. This syndrome can also cause the tissue lining the vagina to become inflamed, causing dryness in the vaginal area.

Take an antihistamine or antidepressant medication

Both of these drugs have one similar side effect which is vaginal dryness. In fact, antidepressants can also decrease libido, making orgasm more difficult to achieve.

Douching

Douching is the process of cleaning the vagina using a special chemical solution. Most fluids contain a combination of vinegar, baking soda, or iodine.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for this condition?

A list of factors that increase a woman's risk of experiencing vaginal dryness include:

• Smoke
• Just had the ovary removal surgery
• Exercise is too hard
• Too many thoughts or stress

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the usual tests to diagnose vaginal dryness?

Most likely the doctor will do a pelvic exam and check your medical history. This includes information about the changes recently felt in the vagina and changes to the menstrual cycle.

A pelvic exam helps the doctor identify changes to the vaginal walls. Apart from that, it can also help the doctor collect cell or vaginal discharge samples to test for the presence of infection.

So far, there isn't one specific test to diagnose vaginal atrophy and dryness. Therefore doctors usually use the symptoms that are felt as an initial basis in diagnosing.

Don't be shy to explain in detail the symptoms you feel in your vagina, including during sex. The reason is, the more complete the information provided, the easier it is for doctors to determine the cause.

What are the treatment options for this condition?

Dry vagina will be treated according to the cause. The doctor will prescribe several drugs to treat vaginal dryness, namely:

1. Estrogen cream

When vaginal dryness is caused by low estrogen levels, estrogen therapy is the main remedy.

Topical estrogen is the doctor's choice because it is absorbed more quickly and has minimal side effects than what is taken by mouth. Drinking estrogen is only specifically prescribed to treat menopause-like symptoms hot flashes .

Estrogen therapy that is applied directly to the skin of the vagina can include:

• Vaginal ring (Estring), inserted directly into the vagina
• Vaginal cream (Estrace, Premarin), applied to the vagina using an applicator
• A vaginal tablet (Vagifem), is inserted into the vagina through an applicator

However, this topical estrogen will usually not be recommended for women who:

• Have breast cancer
• Have endometrial cancer
• Experiencing vaginal bleeding without knowing why
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Any estrogen product has side effects such as vaginal bleeding and breast tenderness.

Therefore, consult a doctor if the side effects you feel persist and get worse.

The doctor will usually replace the estrogen product used and find the one that works best for you.

2. Medicines

Over-the-counter medications can also treat vaginal dryness.

Lubricants are used during sexual intercourse to increase moisture and make sex less painful. Water-based lubricants are recommended over oil-based lubricants.

You can use vaginal moisturizer every day to keep the vagina moisturized.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat vaginal dryness?

Here are some lifestyle changes and home remedies that can help treat vaginal dryness, namely:

• Clean the vagina with warm water and mild soap and don't do douching
• Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, which can dry out the skin in the vaginal area
• Use water-based lubricants before sexual intercourse
• Using a special vaginal moisturizer
• Abstain from vaginal care products that can irritate them
• Enjoy the time foreplay with no rush so that the vagina has enough lubrication during penetration

Get in the habit of doing regular checkups to see the development of symptoms and conditions.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.