Vaginal dryness is a common problem that many women feel too embarrassed to seek help over.
Indeed, a recent One Poll survey revealed four out of ten females suffer from the complaint.
It can lead to discomfort during sex, difficulty reaching orgasm and cause a reduced sex drive.
Additionally, dryness can cause a need to urinate more frequently and repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Following the finding, a leading gynecologist has spoken to Refinery29 to outline six key causes of why women experience a lack of vaginal lubrication and what they can do about it.
A recent survey revealed four out of ten females suffered from vaginal dryness (stock photo)
A study of 2,000 women over 40 carried out by OnePoll two weeks ago found that half said they had experienced a reduced sex drive.
And 39 per cent of those surveyed said they had suffered with vaginal dryness, with 42 per cent admitting it made them ‘feel old’.
While it can be a particular issue for women who are going through or have experienced the menopause, it can be a problem at any age as Dr Leah Millheiser, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University points out.
These are her reasons as to why you may be suffering:
The menopause
Dryness is thought to affect about half of postmenopausal women.
The change causes estrogen levels to decline, along with the levels of other steroid hormones, according to the International Society for Sexual Medicine.
These decreases makes the vaginal tissues thinner, drier, less elastic and more fragile, causing discomfort during intercourse.
How to help: Using silicone-based vaginal moisturizers and lubricants, or a local vaginal estrogen treatment may help menopausal women, Dr Millheiser recommends.
The Mayo Clinic advises to choose lubricants that don’t contain glycerin because women who are sensitive to this chemical may experience burning and irritation.
It also says to avoid petroleum jelly or other petroleum-based products for lubrication if you’re also using condoms. Petroleum can break down latex condoms on contact.
Hormonal birth control
Birth control pills can cause a drying effect in a similar way to the menopause (stock photo)
Birth control is one of the most common culprits of vaginal dryness in young people, according to Dr Millheiser.
‘By nature of how the pill or Nuva ring works, what it’s doing is suppressing your own estrogen and testosterone, both of which are very important for vaginal and vulvar health,’ she told Refinery29.
Therefore, your body only receives the hormones that are being synthetically produced by the pill, which are often lower than what your body naturally produces, causing an effect not unlike the menopause.
How to help: If you suspect your birth control pills may be causing you dryness, speak to your doctor. They may be able to give you a higher dose of hormones.
Alternatively, an intrauterine device (IUD) is one possible solution as it does not contribute to vaginal dryness, explained Dr Millheiser.
Colds and medications
A cold or flu can dehydrate you in many ways and you may notice that our vagina feels drier when you’re under the weather.
Furthermore, Dr Millheiser says medications such as antihistamines or Sudafed can contribute to the problem too by drying up your mucous membranes.
NHS Choices also says that medications that can cause dryness throughout the body, including inside the vagina, include some antidepressants and cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
How to help: The good news is that this type of vaginal dryness will probably go away once you’re finished your course of medication.
Use of harsh soaps
Dr Millheiser points out that when people complain about ‘vaginal’ dryness, they often the skin around the vulva, which can get dry and irritated by using soap to wash.
But vaginal dryness is not all you have to worry about when it comes to washing down there. Studies suggest applying irritating products inside their intimate areas poses further health risks.
Women who douche are twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer, a national US study in 2016 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences revealed.
And previous research also found that women who use shower gels and soaps in intimate areas are putting themselves at higher risk of developing sexually transmitted infections.
How to help: Experts say the vagina is self-cleaning and does not need harsh detergents to stay clean.
If you want to assist it or are worried about odour, experts advise water and a mild soap is best just around he outside of your genital area.
Dr Millheiser recommends that if you’ve stopped using soap and still feel dry, apply a pea-sized amount of Vaseline ointment on the skin of your labia to provide a moisture barrier.
Breastfeeding and childbirth
Estrogen levels can temporarily decrease after giving birth and make your vagina feel drier than usual.
Then breastfeeding increases prolactin, a hormone that causes breast milk production, which in turn suppresses estrogen and testosterone, which can lead to vaginal dryness, explained Dr Millheiser.
Estrogen levels can drop after giving birth and through breastfeeding which can cause vaginal dryness (stock photo)
How to help: ‘We don’t want women to stop breastfeeding, but we want them to be able to have sex,’ Dr Millheiser said.
She advises using a silicone-based lubricant over a water-based one as it has better staying power when it comes to reducing friction.
A non-hormonal vaginal moisturizer can help restore some moisture to your vaginal area. The effects generally last a little longer than those of a lubricant, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Dr Millheiser said vaginal estrogen therapy in the form of a cream, tablet, or ring could also help.
Smoking
Research shows that smoking can cause vaginal dryness because it destroys estrogen in the body.
A cigarette habit also affects your blood circulation, resulting in the vagina and other tissues not getting enough oxygen, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In addition, women who smoke typically experience an earlier menopause, it says.
How to help: The obvious advise is to decrease your nicotine intake or quit smoking altogether.
In addition to the list above, vaginal dryness is also sometimes caused by an underlying condition such as diabetes, according to NHS Choices.
It may also be as a result of Sjögren’s syndrome, where the immune attacks the glands in the body that produce fluid. See your doctor if self-help measures are not working.
DO NOT USE VICKS’ VAPORUB TO CLEAN YOUR VAGINA
Experts urge women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks’ Vaporub after an internet trend
Experts are urging women not to clean their vaginas with Vicks’ Vaporub after a bizarre internet trend has spurred many to experience tingling in their genitalia.
Online forums and blogs claim the ointment, intended to soothe an irritating cough, can boost women’s sex lives, clean the intimate area, cure thrush and even maintain a pleasant odour on the vagina.
VapoRub, which gives users a tingling sensation when applied on the chest, apparently elicits the same gentle tickling feeling when put on intimate areas, leading blogs to suggest women smear it on their clitoris or men’s penises.
Some forums also claim the ointment could cure vaginal thrush, however, experts argue applying such products could introduce infections or make them worse by disrupting the intimate area’s bacteria.
The need to apply VapoRub as a fragrance to the vagina, which is self-cleaning, is also concerning, as genitalia should not have a strong odour.