Dealing with the Vaginal Discomfort Menopause Induces

Menopause comes with a number of different medical terms you may or may not be used to dealing with. For example, your doctor may spend some time discussing vaginal atrophy with you. This does not mean that your vagina has become diseased. It does not even mean that your vagina is a useless part of your body. As bad as the term itself may sound, it simply means that your vaginal walls are thinning and drying. This can cause a few problems with your changing body that need to be addressed.

If you are not sexually active during your menopause years, you may have nothing that needs to be addressed. While the thinning and drying of the vaginal walls can cause some itching, that may not be a problem for some women. If your doctor wants to offer you treatment options and you don't feel as if you need them, let him know that you feel quite fine. If, however, you are sexually active during your menopause years, the changes that come your way may be a bit distressing. Because of the thinning walls and cells, there is no resistance to friction. As a result, even the slightest insertion can be quite painful and problematic. This can be even more problematic if a woman has not had sexual relations for a number of years. In these cases, the vaginal tissues shrink much faster, and it can turn to severe scarring in a hurry.

Medical terminology calls the pain women experience during penetration “dyspareunia.” One of the most common things women do to combat this pain is use a lubricating jelly. While this will help in the short term, it cannot keep your thinning vaginal tissues from cracking. As a result, many women begin a regiment of estrogen therapy to help their tissues return to their normal state. Estrogen therapy comes in a number of forms. Some doctors prescribe an estrogen cream. While it can help, it also takes a lot of time to become effective. Another real drawback of the cream is that if progesterone is not included among the ingredients, it can be a dangerous medication. If you do end up using the cream, use it very lightly. There are three types of estrogen, and estroil is the only one that studies have shown does not cause cancer. In addition to treating the thinning cell walls associated with menopause, it is also useful in treating urinary tract infections. This version of estrogen, though, is a bit difficult to obtain in the United States. As a result, most doctors will recommend some type of oral hormone therapy. Those, too, though, have their side effects.

As a result of the side effects of hormone replacement therapies, you might want to consult a healer who can give you some insight into more natural medications to deal with your vaginal discomfort. Apricot oil can be quite helpful during this trying time. The insertion of a vitamin E capsule may also help ease your pain. Remember that petroleum jelly is not only unhelpful during this time; it can also be harmful to your body.

It is important for you to remember that in general, sexual arousal and orgasm will occur more slowly at this time of life. It is estimated that at least fifty percent of couples have some sexual problem at some point in their lives together. These problems are best addressed if the lines of communication stay open. Tell your partner what you are experiencing. Let him be a part of your decision about how to treat your problem. Patience and communication is the key to overcoming your vaginal discomfort.