As your childbearing years come to an end, your body changes in more ways than one, and issues with vaginal health often become a concern. At Femina Careo, board-certified OB/GYN, Dr. Elias Moukarzel, helps women manage their menopause symptoms, while optimizing the health and function of their vagina. With offices located in El Centro and Carlsbad, California, there's no reason to wait to schedule your appointment. Call the Femina Careo office today, or use the online booking agent to schedule your initial consultation.
Menopause and perimenopause (the period of time leading up to menopause) result from your body’s declining estrogen production. As the levels of female sex hormone drop, you ovulate less and eventually, menstruation stops, ending your ability to get pregnant.
Along with these menopause symptoms, many women also experience changes in their vaginal and sexual health.
Estrogen plays a vital role in vaginal health and without it, the vagina, and often your libido, suffers. As your hormone level lowers, you may experience a reduction in natural lubrication, which dries out the sensitive tissues of your vagina, leading to irritation, itchiness, and burning. The lining also thins and loses much of its elasticity.
This combination, called vaginal atrophy, makes sex uncomfortable and, for many women, painful. In some cases, it’s so significant that women put off sex, not wanting to engage because of pain. Yet the less sex you have, the higher your risk of having of your vagina becoming more narrow and the skin even more fragile, which can progress to the potential that you may bleed during intercourse.
Along with the lack of estrogen, the changes in your vagina and ability to enjoy sex, even with lubrication, can cause a drop in libido.
Depending on the severity of your menopause symptoms, Dr. Moukarzel may recommend lifestyle changes that can make you more comfortable and relieve your symptoms. This includes dressing in layers to help during hot flashes and improving your sleep hygiene to deal with insomnia.
When it comes to sexual dysfunction, he often recommends that you continue to have sex through menopause to keep your vaginal lining healthy and sex enjoyable.
If you suffer from severe menopause symptoms, Dr. Moukarzel may suggest the MonaLisa TouchⓇ, a cutting-edge laser device, to improve vaginal health, increase sexual pleasure, and possibly reverse vaginal atrophy.
Hormone replacement therapy, in the form of oral medication, topical creams, or implants, can also reduce severe symptoms.
