What to Do About Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness is one of the hallmarks of menopause — half of postmenopausal women between the ages of 51 and 60 experience the problem. Thankfully, there are solutions that can restore lubrication to your vagina, allowing you to enjoy your sex life once again.

Here at Tahoe Women’s Care, Dr. Gary Willen and our team offer women the health services they need to navigate every reproductive stage of their lives. While menopause marks the end of your reproductive years, it can also bring most unwelcome changes to your body, including vaginal dryness.

The good news is that this is one consequence that we can help you change. Let’s take a look.

Menopause and beyond

As we mentioned, vaginal dryness is common among women who’ve passed through menopause. This side effect, along with others that affect your vaginal and/or urinary health, falls under genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Most of these unwelcome changes are caused by the sudden drop in your reproductive hormone levels after your ovaries shut down.

While your estrogen was primarily responsible for creating your menstrual cycles, this hormone also ensured that your vaginal walls were well-lubricated and supple enough for intercourse and childbirth. With the marked decrease in these hormone levels, your vaginal walls can thin, become less elastic, and dry out.

Menopause may be the primary culprit behind vaginal dryness, but women can also experience the problem due to certain medications or treatments (think chemotherapy and radiation).

Whatever is behind your vaginal dryness, there are solutions that can help restore lubrication and health to your vaginal tissues.

Treating vaginal dryness

There are several ways we can combat vaginal dryness, starting with replacing your lost hormones. Whether through systemic hormone replacement therapy or the use of topical hormone medications, many women find relief from vaginal dryness by tackling the problem at its source — lack of hormones.

We’re also equipped with a state-of-the-art vaginal rejuvenation technology called MonaLisa Touch®. This innovative system delivers energy into your vaginal walls, which boosts the health of these tissues through increased collagen production, better circulation, and improved innervation (nerve growth). This approach to vaginal dryness is ideal for women who’d prefer not to tinker with their hormone levels.

Outside of these therapies, there are other actions you can take to address vaginal dryness and encourage better lubrication in your vagina. First, you may want to try a good lubricant to ease intercourse. 

As well, under the old saw, “Use it or lose it,” we encourage you to continue your sexual activity, which can help the blood flow in your vaginal tissues. When your vagina is active, your body tends to send in more regenerative resources to maintain the health of the organ.

To figure out which approach to vaginal dryness is right for you, please contact our office in Carson City, Nevada, to set up an appointment.