If you have ever had a problem with vaginal dryness, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Vaginal dryness is a condition that can lead to complications such as pain on penetration, vaginal walls feeling raw and hot with thrusting, urinary frequency and urgency and external burning with urination. It can also have a serious emotional impact and affect quality of life. But what exactly causes vaginal dryness, and how can it be treated.
What causes vaginal dryness?
Vaginal dryness can occur as a result of several factors including state of hydration but the dominant factor is relative if not absolute estrogen deficiency. Estrogen plays an important role in vaginal health, because it helps to maintain its thickness and elasticity. It also keeps the vagina adequately lubricated.
Estrogen levels can decline even during the per-menopausal years, often due to factors such as excessive lifestyle stress, extreme exercise, borderline/low body weight, smoking and on occasion the use of birth control pills. After menopause, the vagina routinely lacks estrogen, while the ovaries have totally stopped production of estradiol, and the slimmer the women the less estrone production. The third bio-identical estrogen is also absent because this only gets produced by the placenta in pregnancy.
How is vaginal dryness treated?
Those at Fowler Gyn International (FGI), have been able to help many women suffering with vaginal dryness. In order to recommend the most effective treatment protocol, a Vaginal Fluid Analysis (VFA) test is first done. VFA testing involves an evaluation of the vaginal constituents, to identify what type of bacterial flora shift that has occurred due to estrogen deficiency.
Treatment involves a mix of prescription medications that restore vaginal estrogen levels and improve the health of the vaginal squamous cell mucosa. The combination of medications will depend on the results of the VFA test.
If vaginal dryness is a problem for you, contact Fowler Gyn International, located in Phoenix, AZ for assistance. Call (480) 420-4001 today for a free “talk-to-doc” with board certified gynecologist Dr. R. Stuart Fowler. To register to become a client, this is done online at fowlergyninternational.com.