Feminine Dryness: Why It Happens and How to Deal With It
Feminine dryness is something that most of us have experienced at one time or another. Whether it’s a one-off inconvenience or a regular occurrence, there are many reasons why your body may not produce enough moisture when you need it to. Typically, the vagina maintains an optimal level of lubrication with its own natural fluids. Sometimes, however, these can become insufficient or inconsistent as a result of changes in your body, external lifestyle factors, or emotional distractions. This can result in anything from discomfort during intimate activities to more serious ongoing complications.
Symptoms of intimate dryness can include itching, stinging, burning, and/or soreness around the vaginal opening. Some women also experience light bleeding during intercourse, or abnormal frequency or urgency in urinary activity.
Hormones: A Delicate Balance
The moisture in your vagina can deplete for many different reasons. A change in hormone levels, especially a decrease in estrogen, is the leading cause of vaginal dryness. For this reason, menopausal women are especially likely to have incidences of significantly reduced vaginal moisture—nearly 51 percent of North American women have reported vaginal dryness as an acute symptom of menopause.1
Estrogen is your body’s principal feminine hormone. It is responsible for ensuring a proper balance of acidity and moisture, as well as regulating the elasticity of your vaginal cell tissue. Your estrogen level may fluctuate due to your menstrual cycle or during periods of pregnancy, childbirth, breast-feeding, or menopause.
The Right Care
Another common source of vaginal dryness is the irritation caused by the use of certain products. Some products contain chemicals that may disturb the natural environment of your vaginal system. With this in mind, you should always be careful only to use high quality, purpose-made products that are pH-balanced for your intimate areas.
Other external factors can also exacerbate existing conditions of vaginal dryness.
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