Vaginal dryness is frequently associated with menopause, but the truth is that it can be a problem for women of any age. Almost fifth of all women aged 18 to 50 have problems with vaginal dryness during intercourse1. While the causes of vaginal dryness are wide and varied, luckily, so are the solutions.
Continue reading about herbal supplements and natural remedies for vaginal dryness so you can have get back to having the intimacy you deserve.
Natural Cures for Female Dryness
Alongside the chemical moisturizers and lubricants that are commonly recommended, there are herbal supplements and natural remedies for vaginal dryness that can be used effectively. In all cases, it is best to clear their use with your overseeing doctor or certified herbalist before proceeding.
Black Cohosh for Vaginal Dryness
A perennial plant native to North America, black cohosh was used by indigenous people to treat gynecological problems for years and is currently used to alleviate a variety of menopause symptoms because of its phytoestrogenic constituents. These powerful, plant-based estrogens fill in empty estrogen receptors throughout the female body, thus resolving a deficiency that could lead to vaginal dryness.
Soy Products
It has been found that women in Asian cultures who incorporate ample amounts of soy into their diet suffer less hot flashes than Americans2, a symptom that shares low estrogen levels as a common cause with vaginal dryness. This is mainly because of soy's high concentrations of phytoestrogens. Try increasing the amount of tofu, soybeans, soymilk, and edamame in your diet as a natural cure for female dryness.
Hormone-Regulating Supplements
Hormone-regulating herbs to increase female lubrication, such as Macafem, are an alternative to phytoestrogenic herbs. They don't contain any estrogen, but instead nourish endocrine glands to produce the proper amounts of natural estrogen your body needs to stay healthy. Because they do not introduce outside hormones into the body, they are safer for long-term use, even into postmenopause.
More About Vaginal Dryness
A deficiency or drop in the hormone estrogen is often the main cause of vaginal dryness. Healthy estrogen levels make vaginal walls moist, lubricated, and elastic. Without the hormone, the vaginal walls become thinner, and moisture is lost.
However, menopause is not the only reason you could be experiencing changes in hormone levels that lead to vaginal dryness. Other reasons this could occur include immune disorders; medications; radiation or chemotherapy; or surgical removal of the ovaries, which is often done alongside a hysterectomy.
Nevertheless, you do not need to live with vaginal dryness forever. By choosing from among the aforementioned natural remedies for female lubrication along with proven vaginal dryness treatments, flourishing vaginal health is not far from reach.
Sources
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2019). Don't ignore vaginal dryness and pain. Retrieved September 11, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/dont-ignore-vaginal-dryness-and-pain
- Mayo Clinic. (2018). Vaginal dryness: Causes. Retrieved September 11, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/vaginal-dryness/basics/causes/sym-20151520
Footnotes
- Women's Health Concern. (2017). Vaginal dryness. Retrieved September 11, 2019, from https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/vaginal-dryness/
- Organic Consumers Association. (2006). Why Middle Age Japanese Women Don't Have Menopausal Hot Flashes: Plant-Based Diets High in Phytoestrogens. Retrieved September 11, 2019, from https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/why-middle-age-japanese-women-dont-have-menopausal-hot-flashes-plant-based-diets-high