You may think that only postmenopausal women need to worry about vaginal dryness, but there are quite a few other things that cause this troubling and uncomfortable symptom. The accompanying itching and pain can really cramp your style in terms of feeling vital, energized, and sexy.
Dr. Pamela Kimbrough, MD, and her caring team at Life’s Cycle Women’s Care in Ardmore and Norman, Oklahoma, have helped countless women eliminate vaginal dryness as a problem in their lives — for good. Their combined expertise and supportive, down-to-earth communication style make for care that’s truly exceptional.
We and our patients agree that life’s too short to live with vaginal dryness for one more minute!
Why does vaginal dryness happen?
You normally have a layer of liquid coating your vaginal walls, courtesy of the hormone estrogen, but it can be compromised by multiple conditions and circumstances that lead to vaginal dryness, including:
- Breastfeeding
- Oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries)
- Medications for conditions like endometriosis that lower your estrogen level
- Widely administered cancer treatments
- Cold medications
- Certain antidepressants
Two other common, more everyday factors linked to dryness are the practice of douching and engaging in insufficient foreplay prior to sex.
In addition to the physical discomfort vaginal dryness causes, it can make you anxious and pose an obstacle to intimacy with your partner.
Are treatments available to help fix vaginal dryness?
Yes! As we said before, an estrogen deficit causes your level of vaginal moistness to plummet.
Thankfully, Dr. Kimbrough has a toolbox of tried-and-true vaginal dryness solutions that have helped scores of our patients.
Over-the-counter topical agents
A variety of lubricants can ease vaginal dryness, but make sure you use products that are specifically made for this purpose. If you purchase something petroleum-based, for example, it can damage a condom or diaphragm.
Topical estrogen
By replacing lost estrogen this way, you can restore your moisture level, and you have many forms to choose from: creams, tablets, suppositories, and even a vaginal estrogen-laced ring that releases estrogen for up to three months.
More foreplay prior to sex
Even though this is a temporary solution, adding a longer period of foreplay before you have intercourse can help with dryness issues, at least during sex.
ViveveⓇ
This is a noninvasive treatment that uses radiofrequency (RF) laser technology to jumpstart collagen production in your body. Collagen is the key ingredient in all of our connective tissue, and a single half-hour Viveve treatment strengthens your vagina and combats the persistent dryness that accompanies compromised collagen production.
Bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT)
Estrogen production plunges after menopause, and plant-based bioidentical hormones offer an exact match to the ones your body used to make. We gently and noninvasively insert SottoPelleⓇ pellets that release a steady, customized estrogen and testosterone mixture into your system gradually, over a period of several months.
Dr. Kimbrough and the Life’s Cycle Women’s Care team are prepared to help you solve your vaginal dryness problem once and for all. Our diverse treatment options take into account that each woman is different, which dovetails nicely with our personalized care approach.
Enhance your quality of life by getting the care you deserve for vaginal dryness. Call one of our offices, or send us an email, and we’ll reach out to you to make an appointment.
