4 Things that Cause Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness is an uncomfortable and painful condition that usually occurs during or after menopause. The estrogen level in your body gets reduced during this time which eventually leads to vaginal dryness. However, there are other factors that can trigger this condition including certain medications and immune disorders. This is a problem that can affect women at any age but it is visible more frequently in older women.

Here are some common factors that may lead to vaginal dryness:

1. Hormonal changes - A decrease in estrogen level that occurs during menopause is one of the most common causes of vaginal dryness. The decrease in estrogen may also occur during perimenopause, during breastfeeding or after childbirth. Radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatment may also result in a decrease in vaginal lubrication.

2. Irritants - Chemicals present in soaps, dyes, hygiene products and perfumes may cause allergy in some women. Irritants present in underwear or towels and other allergens like objects and lubricants that are placed in the vagina may also cause vaginal dryness.

3. Insufficient arousal - Low libido or other sexual problems may also lead to vaginal dryness. Poor sexual performance and early ejaculation may also contribute to it.

4. Anxiety - Sexual desire can be affected by emotional and psychological factors such as anxiety and stress that may eventually lead to vaginal dryness. High anxiety level in women results in insufficient flow of blood, causing vaginal dryness.

How can vaginal dryness be treated?

Topical estrogen therapy is a common method of treating vaginal dryness caused by low estrogen level. Topical estrogen helps in inserting some hormone that your body is no longer producing. This controls the vaginal symptoms to a certain extent but it does not replace as much estrogen as oral hormone therapy, in your blood stream. Lubricants and moisturizers may also be applied to reduce vaginal dryness and make sex less painful and uncomfortable.

Word of Caution

Please get a PAP Smear done before starting local estrogen and keep a follow up with your doctor.



4 Things that Cause Vaginal Dryness

6 handy tips to manage repeated vaginal infections

Vaginal infections occur when the walls of the vagina get inflamed. This can be caused by several factors such as bacteria, viruses, yeast, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), chemicals and clothing. The standard medical term for it is vaginitis and it bothers most women at some point in their lives.

Maintaining vaginal and overall genital health is very important in preventing and dealing with infections that affect the affect the area, especially those which are persistent or recurrent.

Some tips to manage repeated vaginal infections are as follows:

1. Maintaining personal hygiene. The most important aspect of maintaining vaginal health is keeping the pubic region cleansed and hydrated. Poor hygiene and dryness make it more prone to recurring infection.

2. Using the right products. Harsh chemical soaps and sprays may cause irritation to the vagina and make it susceptible to inflammation due to infection.

3. Wearing skin-friendly clothing. Certain types and materials of clothing have a harmful impact on the delicate skin of the genital area which puts the vagina at the risk of contracting infections. These include nylon underwear, tight jeans and trousers, pantyhose with no cotton lining, etc. Wearing soft cotton underwear and linen bottoms are the best ways to prevent vaginal infection and inflammation.

4. Using protection during sex. Protected sexual intercourse prevents the spread of STDs which cause vaginal infection. Hence, it is always advisable to use a condom while having sex.

5. Urinating after sex. Always urinating after sex reduces the chances of catching a vaginal infection.

6. Getting regular health checkups. The most efficient way of managing vaginal infections is by getting the vagina checked up by your gynaecologist as regularly as possible so as to prevent further complications and ensure early detection of infections or diseases.

These are some of the simple and effective ways of handling vaginal infections. Most cases are not very serious and can be easily treated and managed.




6 Ways to Stop Repeated Vaginal Infections

Vaginismus is a condition characterized by significant pain in the vagina generally during sexual intercourse. This pain occurs on penetration due to the contraction of the vaginal muscles.

Causes

The exact cause of Vaginismus is not exactly known to the doctors. But some researchers suggests that the pain might result from severe anxiety or illogical fears before sex.

Vaginismus can be primary or secondary depending on the concerned woman s previous sexual experiences. Vaginismus can be linked to an earlier sexually painful experience, sexual trauma or psychological factors. In some cases, the pain tends to exist without any direct physical cause. The causes of the pain might vary from women to women and might occur in some cases with only one specific partner and not with others.

Sometimes the pain might stem from underlying infections or any other underlying complications.

The symptoms of Vaginismus are as follows:

Severe pain during intercourse.

Severe pain during insertion of tampons or during any medical check-ups.

The following treatments can be useful to treat Vaginismus:

If the pain arises due to anxiety or fear, counselling sessions can help you to a remedy.

If the pain arises whenever something penetrates the vaginal walls, progressive desensitization can be useful to treat the pain. The process aims to loosen the vaginal muscles so that you don t experience any pain during sexual intercourse.

Kegel exercises (at least 20 of them) can help in the initial stage to relax the vaginal muscles. After you exercise for a few days, you should try inserting one finger inside your vagina while doing the exercises. Try doing it gently and if it still hurts, try doing it with a lubricating jelly. This continuous procedure will help in the contraction of the vaginal muscles which eventually relax.

Vaginismus - Things You Should Be Aware of 

It is important that you understand and fulfil the needs of your partner and address issues that concern you both. Sexual intercourse for humans is not only a reproductive act, but is also considered to be an emotional and pleasurable act. However, statistics report that almost 30% of the women experience pain during intercourse. This not only hampers the pleasure, but is also an unhealthy sign since it is indicative of a problem.

Painful intercourse could be a regular occurrence, or a sporadic one. There could be numerous reasons that cause the discomfort and pain. Though it might be an early manifestation of grave diseases such as endometriosis or fibroids, but more often, it is triggered due to conditions such as vaginal dryness, yeast infection, bacterial vaginiosis, which can be easily treated. It is pertinent to understand that it is not the physical infirmity of the entire female anatomy that causes such pain/ discomfort, but the existence of certain conditions that can be treated by a medical practitioner. 

Certain such causal factors associated with painful intercourse and the efficient ways to deal with them are discussed below:

 Vaginal dryness: vaginal dryness is one of the most commonly cited causes for painful intercourse. There are various causal factors of vaginal dryness. These include, but are not limited to, consumption of certain drugs, bathing with hot water, health conditions or even lack of foreplay. Vaginal dryness due to the aforementioned causes is a short-lived condition that can be treated well with the help of a medical practitioner. Usage of lubricants that is suitable for you, as advised by a medical practitioner, could go a long way in aiding the ease of sexual intercourse. The lubricants act as an effective substitute, if the body is unable to naturally secrete vaginal fluids to ease intercourse, thereby greatly reducing the pain that is experienced.
 Improper vaginal expansion: the female anatomy is designed in such a way that it expands normally during intercourse. Proper foreplay enables the woman to get excited, which results in the release of vaginal fluids that aids in sexual intercourse. However, in the event that the female is not excited enough prior to the act, sexual intercourse can become a painful act, since the vagina is unable to expand in the absence of vaginal fluids. In such cases, take things slow and give your body time to comfortably go with the flow.
 Vaginal itching caused by infection: vaginal infections can be caused by antibiotics, prior sexual activity that has resulted in contraction of sexually transmitted diseases etc. This results in an itching or burning sensation while having sex. It is essential to rest your body instead of forcing things and to consult your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor can correctly diagnose the causal factors behind the infection, and prescribe the necessary medicines for it.

However, if your symptoms vary from the common ones mentioned above, or in case you have a different query, it is always advisable to consult the doctor.

How to Make Sex Less Painful for a Woman

Vaginal discharge or odor is one of the most common conditions in women, yet the least talked about or taken help for. It is of vital importance that more and more women become aware of the condition and stop neglecting it. It is this neglect towards the condition that leads to some ancillary side effects and the increase in the complexity of the situation. Before things take a turn for the bad, it is imperative that you take help from concerned medical specialists and fight the condition during its initial days itself.

Why consult a specialist?
Treating the condition as soon as you notice it leads you to stem other diseases and infections that may be caused as a side effect. Also, vaginal discharge and foul odor can become not only the cause of discomfort for your day to day life, but also a great hindrance in your private life. Don t let a curable condition hamper your personal life and most importantly your conjugal life. Visiting a doctor will help you get rid of both the excessive discharge and foul order. All you have to do is shred that mental neglect and confining attitude, step out of the home and make way to the doctor s clinic.

What causes vaginal discharge?
Some of the most common causes of vaginal discharge include-

Yeast Infection: Vaginal yeast infection is by far the most common cause of vaginal discharge. This relatively common condition is caused by fungus. This factor is characterised by itchiness, irritation and swelling.
Urethritis: Another cause influencing excessing vaginal discharge includes Urethritis. This condition is influenced by the inflammation and irritation in the tube carrying urine, also referred to as the urethra.
Gonorrhea: Gonorrhea is an alarming cause of vaginal discharge. This disease is sexually transmitted and affects warm and wet areas of the body.
Other causes of vaginal discharge include pregnancy, anxiety, cervix inflammation, cervical cancer or history of the same.
Causes of vaginal foul odor:
Some of the most common causes of vaginal odor are-

Infection: Fungal infection is a major cause of vaginal odor.
Sweat: Accumulation of sweat in wet and humid areas of the body leads to a certain amount of odor. The same goes for the vagina.
Hormonal change: Change in hormone and discharges also lead to a foul-smelling vagina.
Overused tampon: Using a tampon for a longer period than prescribed can also lead to accumulation of periodical blood and bacteria, leading to foul smell from the vagina.
Treating vaginal discharge and foul odor:
In case that vaginal discharge and a foul odor is becoming a major concern in your life and making things uncomfortable for you, it is the time that you make your way to a medical specialist. Other preventive practices often suggested by doctors include- wearing loose clothes, not wearing a tampon for a long time, losing weight, consulting a doctor before starting a specific treatment or medication, etc.

Vaginal Discharge and Foul Odour - Know the Reason Why?

Infections of the vagina, cervix and uterus

Vaginal problems are very common and a little awareness can enable women to take care of this delicate region of their body. Vaginal infections are the most irritable and hurtful and lack of education on the same makes it difficult to prevent them; from burning and itching to unpleasant odour, most women have faced these infections at some point of their lives.

Here are few points you must know about to stay clear of these infections.

1. Vaginal infections: vagina contains bacteria and yeast which are good and maintain the health of the area. However, things like change in levels of hormones, poor hygiene, pregnancy, sexual contact, antibiotics, disturb the balance of health, thus causing infections. Most common types of vaginal infections are: bacterial infections, yeast infections, trichomonas vaginitis. While there exist over-the-counter cure for these infections, it is best to visit your gynecologist and get the infections diagnosed &amp; treated.

2. Cervix inflammation: infection or inflammation in the cervix is called cervicitis. It is pretty common and is influenced by a number of factors like allergies, infections or irritations - it is important to know the cause of cervicitis because in the long run, it could pose a problem with fertility. Symptoms of cervicitis include foul smelling vaginal discharge, pain during passing urine, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding like bleeding after sexual contact or between periods. Cervicitis is treated with the help of anti-fungal medications, antibiotics and anti-viral medications depending upon the evaluation of the underlying cause.

3. Pelvic and uterine infection: infection in the uterus and pelvis is also a matter which should not be left untreated. It can present with pain lower abdomen, pain during intercourse, frequent and painful urination. The infection can be caused by various organisms which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease which in turn can spread to the uterus, ovaries and the fallopian tubes.

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Infections Of The Vagina, Cervix and Uterus: Facts You Must Know.

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