Treating internal vaginal dryness

As all women eventually approach menopause, we begin to experience well known various signs and symptoms. If you`re like me, you`ve probably scoured the internet looking for information and natural ways of either halting or at least alleviating these symptons. No one really wants to take hormone replacement drugs because of the dangerous side effects. I`ve found so many sites that promote natural products to alleviate the night sweats, hot flashes, weight gain, fatigue, diminished libido, and the list goes on and on. There`s also been some debate as to the effectiveness of previously heralded herbs like black cohosh and St. John Wort. I think some of these herbal combinations probably help some women to some extent, and for others they don`t do much at all.

There is a very unwelcome symptom (along with all the others) of the peri and menopausal stages - and that is vaginal dryness. I`m not talking about external dryness. There are plenty of products that lubricate the outside of vagina and labia. I`m referring to internal vaginal dryness. The actual name for it is "dyspaurenia" and "atrophic vaginits". Sounds awful, doesn`t it? It`s brought on by a gradual drop in estrogen and causes the vaginal membranes to become thinner, more fragile, and dry. This is ultimately what causes women to experience discomfort

or just flat out pain during intercourse. It can almost feel like the tissues are being stretched to the point of almost tearing. Without the elasticity that we naturally had in our 20`s and 30`s, alot of women feel this kind of discomfort. Even with a patient and gentle spouse or signficant other, this can cause some angst in a relatiosnhip. Sex becomes not a source of pleasure and intimacy, but a source of physical discomfort. If this sounds like something you`re going through, then you`ll like what I`ve discovered.

In one of the online communities for women in menopause, which provides many good insights and addresses just about anything you might need to know for your own condition, there were some innovations I hadn`t read about before. One was to soak a gauze in either vitamin e oil, wheat germ oil, or olive oil as these are considered naturopathic vaginal lubricants. I liked the idea of using high grade (cold pressed) oils that are also pure enough

to be consumed. And I figured that olive oil and vitamin e oil are very good for the skin and are used in many soaps and lotions. The best oil for the skin is pure almond oil. So while I didn`t like the idea of inserting a gauze because it might be difficult to retrieve, I came up with another way to use these oils for a nauturopathic lubricant. To start with I mixed 3 tablespoons of each of these high grade oils: olive, vitamin e, and almond. I used a small jar to mix the oils well. Then I used a plastic syringe (which you can get at any pharmacy) which holds up to 2 tablespoons. I started out by extracting about a teaspoon of the mixture and inserting the syringe about 3 inches into the vaginal canal and then pulling out the syringe. Some of the oil came out quickly, but most stayed in and moisturized those drying membranes. And may I just say that the next day, intercourse was not painful and it felt wonderful. I felt as lubricated as I did many years ago, and it felt natural! I knew I had stumbled upon a great idea and just wanted to share it with other women going through this same situation. Oh, and you`ll want to have at least a couple of these syringes around which should be cleaned prior to each use. See if you`re not completely elated with your new found vaginal rejuvination.

About the Author

Just another woman dealing with menopausal symptoms