Menopause and Vaginitis

According to the National Institute on Aging, "Menopause is a normal part of life, just like puberty. It is the time of your last period. Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone, the two female hormones made in your ovaries, might lead to these symptoms." One of the most common symptoms of menopause is vaginitis. Natural and medicinal treatments are available for vaginitis.

Why does Menopause Cause Vaginitis?

• Women go through menopause, also called "the change of life," between ages 40 and 65. Menopause has many symptoms, but one of the most uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptoms is vaginitis. Your genital area may become drier and the membranes become thinner due to the change in estrogen levels being produced. Any type of friction on the now drier, thinner skin can irritate it, which can make sexual intercourse painful or uncomfortable. After intercourse you may have days of discomfort from vaginitis, which basically means inflammation of the vagina. Possible infection can be introduced into the raw and inflamed skin, such as a yeast infection or urinary tract infection. Changing estrogen levels affect the natural pH of your vagina, which also enables infection.

Hormone-Free Treatments Preferred

• Hormone-free topical creams and oils can help to relieve vaginal dryness. Your doctor will probably recommend that you try natural creams and lubricants to help with your vaginitis before trying medicinal hormone treatments.

Natural Oils to Relieve Dryness

• Vitamin E can be taken in 400 IUs as a daily supplement and can help reduce dry skin. Vitamin E oil can alleviate dryness if put topically on the vagina daily. It can also be used as a sexual lubricant to relieve dryness.

  Other natural vaginal lubricants to relieve dryness include olive oil, sesame oil and wheat germ oil. You can soak the oil into a small cotton makeup pad and place it in the vagina a couple of nights a week while you sleep.

  Estrogen-free vaginal lubricants such as K-Y Jelly and Replens can provide relief. These types of lubricants can be purchased over the counter.

Adjust Your pH Balance

• The pH level in your vagina can also be improved with yogurt and acidophilus products. Eat yogurt with active cultures daily. Place it in your vagina for a cooling relief at bedtime. Acidophilus pills are sold in many health food stores and can be taken as a supplement to adjust pH levels.

Oatmeal Baths to Relieve Itching

• After intercourse, if you experience itching and burning, an oatmeal bath may help. There are oatmeal bath products available in many stores or you can make your own. Cook a couple of servings of oatmeal until it is quite mushy. Put it in a strainer and run it under the faucet as your bathwater is filling. Avoid hot tubs and bathwater that is too hot, as this dries out your skin even more.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy

• Due to the lessening amount of the female hormones, estrogen and progestin, your doctor may advise menopausal hormone therapy or MHT. Taking hormones can reduce a lot of menopausal symptoms such as vaginitis. There is controversy about hormone therapy and the risks of cancer associated with it. Some of the hormonal options to relieve vaginitis are estrogen pills, estrogen creams, birth control pills and bioidentical hormones.

Hormonal Treatments

• A local vaginal hormone in the form of a ring, tablet or cream can be put in your vagina. The estrogen is absorbed topically into the bloodstream but does not go through the liver as it would if you swallowed a pill, which might reduce the risk of cancer. Topical estrogen is usually effective at restoring vaginal lubrication and elasticity.

  Your doctor may prescribe the birth control pill, which may have enough hormones to relieve the vaginitis symptoms.

  Bioidentical hormones are drugs that act like estrogen to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Bioidentical hormones are supposed to cause fewer health concerns but have the same benefits as estrogen on menopause.