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Vaginal dryness

Natural ways to relieve vaginal dryness

Nearly half of all women between the ages of 40 and 59 suffer from vaginal dryness at some point. It can put an abrupt halt to your sex life, interfere with exercise and hygiene habits, and even prevent you from wearing your favorite clothes. For many perimenopausal and menopausal women, especially those getting off HRT, vaginal dryness is often acute: it’s one of the top ten problems afflicting menopausal women.

A woman concerned about vaginal dryness

“I’m me again. The vaginal dryness is better, and my libido is back!”

Nora, customer

Vaginal dryness is behind a lot of female sexual dysfunction because the lack of lubrication can make sex painful. Women with vaginal dryness often come to dread sex and end up avoiding all types of sexual activity. It’s no wonder that so many women with vaginal dryness experience a disturbing plunge in their libido.

Though women can suffer vaginal dryness at any age, this symptom can become chronic during perimenopause and menopause. Changes in hormone production and regulation, especially for estrogen, have a direct effect on vaginal tissue.

Medical factors associated with vaginal dryness

  • Declining estrogen levels which lead to thinning and drying of the vaginal wall, reduced muscle tone, and additional time needed for sexual arousal.
  • Underlying medical issues and side effects of certain conditions such as Sjögren’s disease.
  • Serious emotional issues, such as depression and unresolved relationship problems.

Seek professional advice for physical or emotional issues that are severe and prolonged.

When is vaginal dryness most likely to occur?

For menopausal and post-menopausal women, vaginal dryness and other symptoms of hormonal imbalance can become increasingly problematic. But vaginal dryness is also an issue for women who have high stress for long periods and can also occur after giving birth. And HRT doesn’t guarantee protection either: women on HRT often continue to suffer vaginal dryness and irritation.

Although vaginal dryness during perimenopause and menopause is extremely common, it is not inevitable. When hormonal imbalance is the cause of vaginal dryness, a few simple steps will often improve natural vaginal lubrication. This is the easiest and most logical approach for most women.

Relieving vaginal dryness

These natural remedies for vaginal dryness are safe and effective, though you should allow a few weeks for them to work. The results are well worth the wait.

  • Phytotherapy is highly recommended for vaginal dryness. Our Herbal Equilibrium has been formulated to address the ten most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance. The isoflavone complex in this supplement has been shown to assist vaginal health at the cellular level.
  • Follow a hormone-balancing diet. Your body needs the right nutritional support to make and balance your hormones. The easy-to-follow eating plan we provide can make a huge difference for women with hormonal imbalance and symptoms like vaginal dryness. You should know that low-fat, high-carb diets literally starve your body of the nutrients it needs to make sex hormones. The estrogen needed for vaginal lubrication is made from cholesterol — often severely lacking in women on low-fat diets. Consider adding soy and flax seed — both are good sources of phytoestrogens.
  • Boost your water intake. Drink at least ten 8-oz glasses of water a day. This simple step can be surprisingly helpful.
  • Try a high quality vaginal lubricant. Some women achieve immediate relief from vaginal dryness and irritation simply by using personal lubricants. You may want to try one while you improve your hydration, nutrition and endocrine support to naturally restore your own vaginal moisture. A wide variety of vaginal lubricant products are now available for use in this sensitive area, including some without the parabens and other xenoestrogens that act as hormone disruptors. At Women’s Health Network, we use a vitamin E vaginal suppository that women rave about. Call us directly at 1-800-448-4919 to find out more.

For some women nothing short of hormone supplementation will help. If you’re one of them, you can ask your healthcare practitioner about locally–released bioidentical ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) in the form of an estriol vaginal cream, the Estring, or bioidentical progesterone creams.

We’ve been very successful with our Hormonal Health Programs at helping relieve the underlying causes of vaginal dryness and other symptoms of hormonal imbalance. For many women, this is the best place to start.

Last Updated: October 30, 2023
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