Many women notice changes in their vagina and genital area after the menopause. These changes may include dryness and discomfort during sex. There may also be bladder symptoms. These can all usually be improved with treatment. Treatment options include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), oestrogen cream, vaginal tablets and lubricating gels.Before the menopause (often called the change of life) the skin and tissues around your vagina are kept supple and moist by fluids and mucus. These are made by glands at the neck of your womb. The female hormone, oestrogen, affects these glands. Oestrogen also affects your tissues in and around your vagina, causing the lining of your vagina to be thicker and more elastic. Oestrogen also stimulates the cells that line your vagina to produce glycogen. Glycogen is a compound which encourages the presence of helpful germs (bacteria) which protect your vagina from infections.
After the menopause your ovaries make less oestrogen. The lack of oestrogen leads to thinning of the tissues around your vagina and a reduction in the number of glands that make mucus. You may also lose some fat tissue from around the genital area. This may make the area also look slightly different to how it was before the menopause.
In summary, the hormonal changes that occur during the menopause make your vagina shorter, less elastic and drier. These changes usually take months or years to develop after the menopause and vary from woman to woman. Atrophic vaginitis is the medical term for the condition when these changes produce troublesome symptoms.How common is vaginal dryness (atrophic vaginitis)?
After the menopause at least half of women have some symptoms related to vaginal dryness. You are also more likely to experience symptoms as more years pass after your menopause. It is probably even more common than that, as many women are embarrassed and feel they do not want to trouble their doctor with these symptoms.What symptoms can occur?
The changes described above can occur without causing any symptoms or discomfort. However, some of the following symptoms may develop in some women. Vaginal dryness is a common (and usually treatable) cause of the following problems. However, these problems can also be caused by other medical conditions.
After the menopause your ovaries make less oestrogen. The lack of oestrogen leads to thinning of the tissues around your vagina and a reduction in the number of glands that make mucus. You may also lose some fat tissue from around the genital area. This may make the area also look slightly different to how it was before the menopause.
In summary, the hormonal changes that occur during the menopause make your vagina shorter, less elastic and drier. These changes usually take months or years to develop after the menopause and vary from woman to woman. Atrophic vaginitis is the medical term for the condition when these changes produce troublesome symptoms.How common is vaginal dryness (atrophic vaginitis)?
After the menopause at least half of women have some symptoms related to vaginal dryness. You are also more likely to experience symptoms as more years pass after your menopause. It is probably even more common than that, as many women are embarrassed and feel they do not want to trouble their doctor with these symptoms.What symptoms can occur?
The changes described above can occur without causing any symptoms or discomfort. However, some of the following symptoms may develop in some women. Vaginal dryness is a common (and usually treatable) cause of the following problems. However, these problems can also be caused by other medical conditions.
- Pain when you have sex. This may occur because your vagina is smaller, drier and less likely to become lubricated during sex compared with how it was before the menopause. Also, the skin around your vagina is more fragile and this can make the problem worse.
- Discomfort - if your vulva or vagina is sore and red.
- Vaginal discharge. There may be a white or yellow discharge. Sometimes this is due to an infection. Infection is more likely if the discharge is smelly and unpleasant.
- Itch. The skin around your vagina is more sensitive and more likely to itch. This can make you prone to scratching, which then makes your skin more likely to itch, and so on. This is called an itch/scratch cycle which can become difficult to break and can be distressing.
- Urinary problems. Vaginal dryness may contribute to various urinary problems. This is because of thinning and weakening of the tissues around the neck of your bladder, or around the opening for urine to pass (the urethra). For example, urinary symptoms that may occur include an urgency to get to the toilet and recurring urinary infections.
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