Estrogen vaginal dryness

Vaginal dryness can be a problem for many postmenopausal women. Vaginal dryness is a hallmark sign of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, also known as atrophic vaginitis or vaginal atrophy. With this condition, vaginal tissues become thinner and more easily irritated — resulting from the natural decline in your body's estrogen levels during menopause. To remedy vaginal dryness and painful intercourse dyspareunia associated with the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, your doctor might recommend:. Regular sexual activity or vaginal stimulation — with or without a partner — also helps maintain healthy vaginal tissues in women after menopause.

Clue is on a mission to help you understand your body, periods, ovulation, and so much more. Start tracking today. Vaginal lubrication is often closely tied to levels of the hormone estrogen, which changes at various life stages. Medications including hormonal birth control may cause vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness is common but treatable, and can happen at any age. Symptoms may include a burning sensation, vaginal discomfort or itching, abnormal vaginal discharge , or pain during sex or masturbation. There can be a number of reasons for vaginal dryness, both psychological and physiological.

Vaginal dryness occurs in women of all ages, but it becomes much more common after menopause. The North American Menopause Society and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health refer to this combination of menopausal symptoms, which are brought on by a drop in the body's estrogen production, as genitourinary syndrome of menopause GSM. GSM can significantly reduce quality of life, similar to other chronic conditions. While other menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, typically decline over time, vaginal dryness tends to linger because it results from physical changes in the vagina — specifically atrophy of tissues, which become thinner, drier, and less flexible because of estrogen loss.

Vaginal dryness probably results from changes that occur when estrogen levels drop. Low estrogen causes the vagina and surrounding connective tissue to lose elasticity and the tissue that lines the vagina becomes thinner and more fragile. How does vaginal dryness feel?