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Vaginal dryness is the result of a lack of vaginal lubrication.
It can make daily activities uncomfortable and sexual intercourse less pleasurable.
Vaginal dryness is a common condition that affects women of all ages.
As well as uncomfortable dryness other symptoms include:
Itching
Burning
Irritation
A feeling of pressure
Pain or light bleeding with sex
The causes of vaginal dryness are often of hormonal origins and due to a reduced level of oestrogens. Oestrogen, a female hormone, helps keep your vaginal tissue healthy by maintaining a normal vaginal acidity level. Acidity creates a natural defense against vaginal and urinary tract infections. But when your oestrogen levels decrease, so does this natural defense and the amount of vaginal lubrication. Decreased oestrogen amounts can lead to a thinner, less elastic and more fragile vaginal lining. Vaginal dryness can be triggered by:
Breastfeeding or giving birth
Many mothers experience vaginal dryness, resulting in difficulty making love. It can even sometimes become impossible to have intercourse if the dryness is extreme. It is related to the hormonal influence of breastfeeding and is not a permanent problem.
Menopause
The likelihood of suffering from vaginal dryness may increase with time, especially when reaching menopausal age. It is estimated that 10% to 40% of women who have reached menopause have symptoms related to vaginal dryness (source: Mayo Clinic).
Treatments against cancer
Chemotherapy can cause a sudden loss of estrogen production in the ovaries leading to a thinning vagina and vaginal dryness. Women undergoing chemotherapy also experience a loss of libido due to the side effects of the treatment; nausea, hair loss, weight loss or gain can make you feel unattractive.
Radiation therapy especially aimed at the pelvic area can damage the ovaries, which then no longer produce estrogen, and irritate healthy vaginal tissues causing the lining to become inflamed and tender. Intercourse may be uncomfortable as when healing, the lining of the vagina becomes thickened and scarred, causing the vagina to tighten and resist stretching during penetration.
Surgery such as Radical Hysterectomy, Radical Cystectomy and Abdominoperineal (AP) Resection especially if they involve removing the ovaries can cause vaginal dryness and early menopause.
Hormone therapy. If you suffer from a hormone-sensitive cancer, you might receive hormone therapy through medications or surgery, which can cause menopausal signs and symptoms including vaginal dryness and atrophy (wastage).
Other factors responsible for vaginal dryness:
Pregnancy
Menstruations
Contraceptive pill and sponges
Sexual intercourse
Relationship tensions
Any illness causing hormonal disbalance
Certain medications such as antibiotics
Eating disorders
Stress
Fatigue
Exercising intensively
Atrophic Vaginitis or Vaginal Atrophy
Atrophic Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina due to thinning and shrinking tissues and decreased lubrication of the vaginal walls. It is caused by a lack of oestrogen and normally occurs after menopause. The disorder may occur in younger women who have had surgery to remove their ovaries.
Symptoms of Atrophic Vaginitis or Vaginal Atrophy:
Vaginal soreness -- maybe an itching or burning sensation
Slight vaginal discharge
Burning on urination
Light bleeding after intercourse
Painful sexual intercourse
© PassionForLife Healthcare Ltd, makers of Bio-Fem Instant Moisturiser for Vaginal Dryness.
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