Contents:
- Medical Video: Vaginal Dryness – Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Clinic
- What are the symptoms of vaginal dryness?
- What causes vaginal dryness?
- 1. Hormonal changes
- 2. Certain drugs
- 3. Lack of passion
- 4. Irritation
- 5. Anxiety
- How do you deal with vaginal dryness?
- Treatment of vaginal dryness with hormones
- Treatment of vaginal dryness by changing habits
Medical Video: Vaginal Dryness – Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Clinic
Have you ever felt your vagina dry? When you experience it, you may be guessing various reasons, even anxious about experiencing initial symptoms menopause. However, dry vaginal problems experienced by young women can be caused by several factors.
According to Journal of Women's Health published in August 2015, dry vagina is also a problem for women under the age of 60 years. This is a very common case for women. It is important for you to keep the vagina moist, because the moisture can keep the tissue healthy and help prevent infections and sexually transmitted diseases.
What are the symptoms of vaginal dryness?
You will feel sick when having sex. In addition, pain is also experienced when you sit, stand, exercise, urinate and even when working. This problem can interfere with women's activities, whether she is sexually active or not.
Changes also occur in the appearance of the vagina and vulva, the lips of the vagina will look thinner. You may also experience irritation and heat.
If you experience feeling hot, itchy and uncomfortable in the vaginal area, you should immediately visit a doctor. The symptoms will be a diagnosis with questions about how long you have experienced these symptoms, about the treatment being taken, or how you cleanse the vagina.
Usually the doctor will do a pelvic test, check the vagina to make sure there is redness or not. This test will help you find the cause, or the possibility of an infection such as urinary tract infection.
What causes vaginal dryness?
In treating a disease, you must know the root of the problem or the cause, as well as to treat a dry vagina. There are several causes that you can see:
1. Hormonal changes
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the most common cause of vaginal dryness is a decrease in estrogen levels during menopause, premenopause, after giving birth, or during breastfeeding. Chemical treatment for cancer like chemotherapy and radiation to the pelvis can cause a decrease in estrogen and vaginal lubrication.
2. Certain drugs
Allergy medicine asthma, and flu contains antihistamines which have an effect in the body, resulting in a decrease in vaginal lubrication.
3. Lack of passion
One reason for vaginal dryness can be due low libido or sexual problems with a partner. For example, still based on Goldstein, couples may have less sexual performance, skipping foreplay, or experience premature ejaculation.
4. Irritation
Body care products can also trigger vaginal dryness, such as chemical soaps, various cleaning products, and perfumes. Some women have allergic problems with detergents and soap. Even with clothes, such as underwear and towels, can also irritate your vagina. Allergies that arise can be a problem with lubrication or objects; like bacteria in your vagina.
5. Anxiety
Psychological and emotional factors can interfere with sexual desire and make your vagina dry. According to Goldstein, when women are anxious, there will be a lack of blood flow, so that dryness in the vaginal area also occurs. Anxiety will also trigger the hormone cortisol, this hormone can interfere with how estrogen works.
How do you deal with vaginal dryness?
As explained above, you must find the root cause for treating vaginal dryness. For example, women who have problems with vaginal lubrication due to hormonal changes, maybe the doctor will recommend estrogen therapy as a treatment.
Treatment of vaginal dryness with hormones
The hormone estrogen is inserted into the vagina for cases hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and discoloration of the skin. These hormones are included in the form of rings, tablets, or creams.
Here are three types of vaginal estrogen:
- Vaginal estrogen ring (Estring): the doctor will insert a soft and flexible ring into the vagina. There, this estrogen will be released directly into the vaginal tissue. However, this type is not permanent, you have to replace it every three months
- Vaginal estrogen tablet (Vagifem): You use a disposable applicator to put tablets into your vagina once a day for the first two weeks of treatment. Then, you will enter it twice a week until you no longer need it
- Vaginal estrogen cream (estrace, premarin): You will also use an applicator to enter the cream into the vagina. The cream is applied for one to two weeks, then the frequency is reduced one to three times a week as directed by the doctor
However, estrogen therapy is not recommended for:
- Breast cancer sufferers
- Women who have a history of endometrial cancer
- Pregnant and lactating mothers
Treatment of vaginal dryness by changing habits
There are other ways that are more comfortable, this method can also be used for dryness that hurts from sex, such as:
- Use lubricants during sex: there are a number of lubricating products that can help deal with vaginal dryness. This lubricant is made from silicon, oil and water. Usually lubricants are more often used to make it comfortable during sex than as long-term vaginal lubrication.
- Use a special vaginal moisturizer: You can look for special vaginal moisturizers, because moisturizers help put water into the vaginal tissue.
- Avoid washing the vagina with soap. You should avoid cleaning the vagina with plenty of foam soap, fragrant soap, and lotion. This can cause drought to worsen. If you want to prevent vaginal infections caused by fungi and bacteria, you can use feminine cleansers containing povidone-iodine. If used on the outside of the vagina, povidone-iodine fluid is proven to be effective in killing parasites that cause infection, but at the same time maintaining the pH balance of the vagina and not making the vagina dry.
