How Do I Know If I Have Vaginal Atrophy?

It is a very common experience during menopause that dryness can cause discomfort, and that can quite easily be treated.

However, if it is vaginal thinning or atrophy, it does need to be treated differently.

What is it?

Vaginal atrophy affects up to 50% of women who have gone through menopause. It occurs when the walls of the vagina become thin, dry, and inflamed, usually due to lower oestrogen levels during and after menopause.

This condition, along with its symptoms, is known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). It can affect both the vagina and the urinary tract.

Many women do not realise that vaginal atrophy is a long-lasting condition. They might use moisturisers and lubricants for temporary relief, but these do not treat the underlying issue.

What are the symptoms?

You may have only a few symptoms, or not many of them, but among those you might notice are:

– Vaginal dryness or burning

– Itching in your genitals

– Unusual vaginal discharge

– More yeast infections

– Burning when you pee

– A need to pee often

– A hard time holding pee in (incontinence)

– More urinary tract infections (UTIs)

– Discomfort or bleeding during or after sex

-Less natural lubrication when you have sex

Dryness is usually the first sign and to up 40% of women post menopause do experience this. But you can also have at perimenopause as well.

What causes it?

Vaginal atrophy happens when oestrogen levels decrease, especially during menopause, when they can drop by about 85%. When your body has less oestrogen, your genital tissues become weaker.

Although menopause is the main cause of genital syndrome of menopause (GSM), oestrogen levels can also decrease for other reasons.

When your body has less oestrogen, your genital tissues become more fragile. Menopause is the most common reason for GSM, but oestrogen levels can also go down because of:

– Breastfeeding

– Anti-oestrogen medications

– Some birth control pills

– Surgery to remove both ovaries

– Chemotherapy

– Pelvic radiation therapy

– Hormone treatment

What can help?

One way to reduce these issues is to have sex regularly. Women who engage in sexual activity, whether by themselves or with a partner, often experience less severe vaginal atrophy compared to those who do not have sex.

Sexual activity increases blood flow to the vagina, helping it remain flexible.

If you experience dryness and discomfort, many women find that Twenty to One, which has a low oestrogen content, helps with dryness and other menopause symptoms when used vaginally.

If you have tried these methods and still have pain, and what you have is atrophy rather than dryness, then you need a higher oestrogen content.

Check with your Doctor to confirm if  you have dryness or atrophy and you will then need a higher dose oestrogen such as Wellsprings Balancing oestrogen cream.

Helpful information: 

Balancing hormones is important, so pay attention to how your oestrogen and progesterone levels affect your dryness. A cream like Twenty to One can help; apply it on your skin in the morning and vaginally in the evening.

Other helpful options include phytoestrogens, like soy, red clover, and black cohosh. Some studies suggest that taking oral vitamin E and omega-3 from fish oils can also improve vaginal lubrication.

Our bodies inevitably change as we get older, but we tend to forget that our vagina is going to be changing too. This article gives you more information on what those changes can be.

9 Ways Your Vagina Changes as You Age