Your sex life is meaningful at any age, although it often goes by the wayside when other things in your life become more important. But when you find your spark again, you want everything to be perfect.
Unfortunately, with aging comes specific bodily changes that affect your love life, including vaginal dryness and decreased libido. When you're yearning for that connection again, you don't have to let dryness get in the way.
If menopause and hormonal changes are the culprits behind your symptoms, John Paul Roberts, MD, and our team provide treatments like hormone replacement therapy to relieve dryness and discomfort.
Dr. Roberts is an experienced, board-certified OB/GYN who provides comfort and care for women of all ages in Plano, Texas.
When you're young, vaginal dryness isn't something you typically have to worry about. In healthy women, body fluids lubricate the vaginal lining to keep it springy and thick. The lubrication keeps the vagina comfortable.
Estrogen is the primary hormone that contributes to moisturizing the vaginal lining and keeping it thick and elastic for comfort. As you age, estrogen levels decline, especially as you approach menopause. Low estrogen leads to thinning of the vaginal lining and dryness.
Although low estrogen is the main culprit behind changes in the vagina, including uncomfortable dryness, it's not the only cause. Other causes of changes in your vagina's moisture include:
Vaginal dryness is most common in women during and after menopause, but it can happen at any age. Medications, birth control, and breastfeeding your child may all contribute to vaginal dryness in younger women.
When women think about vaginal dryness, uncomfortable sex usually comes to mind, but it's not the only issue. The dryness can also cause discomfort when urinating, sitting, or exercising. But vaginal dryness causes significant problems during sexual intercourse.
During sexual arousal, your body produces more lubrication. The excess lubrication reduces friction and painful rubbing during intercourse.
When you have low estrogen or another reason for vaginal dryness, penetration during sex is often excruciating. Without the proper lubrication, the vaginal canal isn't as springy or thick, making sex very uncomfortable.
But pain isn't the only way vaginal dryness affects your love life. Persistent pain and discomfort during sex often cause decreased interest in intimacy, which affects your relationship with your partner.
You can attempt to increase vaginal lubrication at home by participating in foreplay, using water-based lubricants, and generally relaxing before and during sex. But these home remedies don't always fix the problem.
If your sex life is suffering and you desperately need help improving vaginal lubrication, Dr. Roberts can help.
Before deciding which treatment is best for your needs, Dr. Roberts talks about your symptoms, performs a pelvic exam, and orders bloodwork to determine your hormone levels. The therapy he suggests depends on your age, cause of vaginal dryness, and overall health.
Menopausal women usually benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because low estrogen levels typically lead to vaginal dryness and other uncomfortable symptoms. HRT comes in different forms, including creams, tablets, and rings.
HRT slowly releases estrogen into your vagina, increasing the hormone and reducing vaginal dryness and low libido. Dr. Roberts helps you decide which option is best for your needs.
If HRT isn't an option, Dr. Roberts suggests other medications that may help with vaginal moisture or over-the-counter lubricants. Using lubricants along with extended foreplay helps keep the vagina moisturized during sex, which cuts down on pain and discomfort.
For severe cases of vaginal dryness, Dr. Roberts may suggest radiofrequency microneedling or tissue remodeling. The treatments use radiofrequency energy to stimulate the tissues in the vagina to improve blood flow and increase collagen production. The therapy increases sexual comfort and satisfaction.
Call our office in Plano, Texas, today to schedule a hormone replacement therapy appointment with Dr. Roberts. You can also request a consultation for menopause using our convenient online booking tool.
