Vaginal Dryness During Menopause - Causes and Remedies

Vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms and also a side effect of menopause. Women may suffer from this in pre-menopause, menopause and post-menopause phase of their life. The hormonal imbalance in the body of a menopausal woman causes lack of estrogen, a vital hormone which maintains elasticity of vaginal lining by keeping it moist, to promote vaginal dryness or vaginal atrophy.

The problem of vaginal dryness may seem petty but it can be very harsh on relationship with male partner. Initially vaginal dryness causes some itching or pain during or after sex but this keeps on increasing to even cause scars and cuts in the vagina to make the sex very painful. Even if problem is not aggravated the reduced pleasure and fun in lovemaking act does not work well for healthy relationship. Some women are unable to perform in the bed completely. Lack of estrogen in the body of menopausal women also causes thinning of vagina which makes the walls of vagina weak and prone to yeast and bacterial infections. Women facing vaginal dryness during menopause may also start experiencing pain in pelvic region as the blood circulation decreases due to lack of estrogen in the body to promote further problems and discomfort.

Due to severe yeast or bacterial infection in the vagina women may have white vaginal discharge which is odorous and painful. Due to growing weakness in the muscles and walls of vagina due to vaginal dryness, problem of incontinence may also creep up and woman may not be able to control her urine and pass out few drops while laughing, coughing or sneezing. All of these problems can make any woman's life difficult and for working women such problems can be very depressing and debilitating.

However there are many treatments to overcome this problem. If a woman start feeling burning sensation in the vagina during penetration or after lovemaking in her pre-menopausal phase can start taking precautions to avoid further complications of vaginal dryness. Doctors suggest more frequent sex to avoid vaginal dryness during menopause, to stimulate mucous glands at the base of uterus to produce more mucous and keep vaginal walls moist and lubricated. Use of water based lubricants to avoid discomfort is also recommended which can help easy movement of male sex organ in the vagina without causing any damage to the vaginal walls. Ensuring sufficient amount of water intake will help greatly.

If level of estrogen hormone in the body keeps on decreasing and dryness is not alleviated by frequent sex and artificial lubricants then there are many herbs which can be of great help. Black cohosh, chaste berry, maca, damiana, licorice, gingko biloba are few herbs which are used as treatment to treat dryness during menopause. These herbs are available as supplements in the form of capsules and powders and can be used in organic form too, whichever way is convenient. However self medication shall be avoided as few of these herbs are very powerful and their dosage should be worked by an expert before use. Ensure sufficient rest and sleep during menopause to keep stress and anxiety at bay which also works well to alleviate vaginal dryness and other symptoms of menopause.