Treatment for vaginal dryness, painful sex, frequent UTIs, and urgency.
Treatment for vaginal dryness, painful sex, frequent UTIs, and urgency.
Vaginal atrophy is a condition that happens when the vaginal skin becomes thin and dry due to lack of estrogen. Vaginal atrophy is a component of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause.
The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a term that is meant to replace the term "vaginal atrophy". GSM describes the symptoms and signs of lack of estrogen in the vagina, labia, urethra, and bladder.
The cause of GSM is pretty simple. GSM happens as estrogen levels decline, and this usually starts in your 30s and 40s during perimenopause and gets worse with time. Since GSM is tied to menopause (and all women go through menopause), 100% of women need to know that they are not alone in their symptoms.
You might experience some or all of the symptoms and signs of GSM.
Initially you might notice irritation of the vulva, lack of vaginal lubrication, burning, pain when peeing, pain with sex, and vaginal discharge.
If you examine your body, you might see labial atrophy, vaginal dryness, shortening of the vaginal canal, clitoral atrophy, an elevated vaginal pH, and loss of volume in the vulva.
Signs of severe GSM include vaginal skin that's fragile, bleeding, or forming red bumps or tears. The urethra can become exposed and this can be very painful.
GSM can increase the likelihood of frequent UTIs, bleeding with or after sex, and loss of libido.
GSM will not magically go away on its own. So if vaginal dryness, painful sex, frequent UTIs, or incontinence is not something you want to just deal with, know that you have options.
One of the most effective treatments is low-dose topical vaginal estrogen, which you can get in different forms - including estradiol vaginal cream and estradiol vaginal suppositories. Topical vaginal estrogen is not absorbed significantly throughout the body, so it can be a great option if you do not want or cannot take oral estrogen. It's a prescription medication, so you can't get vaginal estrogen over the counter, but we offer it here at Interlude through an online consult with prescription included.
You can apply a good vaginal moisturizer on a regular basis and use a lubricant during intimacy, but this will only help with vaginal symptoms. Home remedies might help relieve some symptoms, but probably won't help in the long term.
You can use hormone-based treatments like oral estrogen or patch estrogen to treat GSM. However, these therapies aren't for everyone.
If you have pain when peeing or vaginal odor, you might think it's a UTI or bacterial vaginosis. If you're in perimenopause or menopause, antibiotics alone will probably not solve the problem. Vaginal estradiol cream, rather than antibiotics, can probably address the root cause and prevent repeat infection.
If you're looking for an easy and convenient way to treat GSM or vaginal atrophy from home, our board-certified doctors offer estradiol vaginal cream and estradiol vaginal suppositories with an easy telehealth consult.
