Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsYeast InfectionsTreatmentSelf-CareImprovement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Yeast Infections
Treatment
Self-Care
Improvement
Vaginal atrophy describes thinning, drying, and inflammation of the lining of thevagina. It occurs when estrogen levels drop due tomenopause.
Vaginal atrophy can happen with natural menopause, surgical menopause, or from conditions or medicines that block estrogen.Other names for vaginal atrophy are atrophic vaginitis andgenitourinarysyndromeof menopause.
This article addresses symptoms of vaginal atrophy and ways to increase moisture and reduce irritation.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Describing What Vaginal Atrophy Is
Lack ofestrogencauses thinning of the vaginal wall. It becomes drier, less elastic, and more delicate. Anatomical and functional changes involve thevulva,pelvic floor, andurinary tract.
Vaginal dryness is the most common symptom.Other symptoms can include:
Some people with vaginal atrophy experiencepainful urination(dysuria).It may help to avoid potentially irritating beverages such as coffee, tea, alcohol, and carbonated and/or artificially sweetened drinks.Products containing harsh ingredients, such as deodorants and fragrances, can also contribute to vulvar pain when peeing.
Yeast Infections and Vaginal Atrophy
Both menopause and vaginal tissue atrophy may contribute to changes in the microbial environment, increasing the risk of vaginal infections, such asyeast infections.
Yeast infectionsymptoms include changes to vaginal discharge, redness, itching, and pain. Yeast infections are treatable with over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. If you’re unsure you have a yeast infection, seeing a healthcare provider for a diagnosis is best.
Vaginal Atrophy Treatment
First-line therapies for mild symptoms include nonprescription, nonhormonal vaginal and vulvar lubricants, and moisturizers. If that doesn’t help, your provider may recommend low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy.
Low-dose estrogen medication includes creams, suppositories, tablets, and slow-release rings. They add estrogen directly to the vaginal and urethral tissues that need it without adding a lot of estrogen into your bloodstream.
Another option is systemichormone therapy(HT). Along with improving genital symptoms, this may help withvasomotor symptoms(hot flashes and night sweats) andosteoporosis(thinning and weakening of bones).Your provider may recommend HT following surgical menopause or if you reach menopause before age 40.
Side Effects of Hormone TherapyPotential side effects of hormone therapy (HT) may include:Spotting or bleeding, which usually stops within six monthsSore breasts, typically temporaryBloatingHeadachesHT may increase the risk ofdeep-vein thrombosis(DVT) andgallbladder disease. Your healthcare provider may recommend against HT if you have had a condition such as:Breastorendometrial cancerStrokeHeart attackBlood clotsLiver disease
Side Effects of Hormone Therapy
Potential side effects of hormone therapy (HT) may include:Spotting or bleeding, which usually stops within six monthsSore breasts, typically temporaryBloatingHeadachesHT may increase the risk ofdeep-vein thrombosis(DVT) andgallbladder disease. Your healthcare provider may recommend against HT if you have had a condition such as:Breastorendometrial cancerStrokeHeart attackBlood clotsLiver disease
Potential side effects of hormone therapy (HT) may include:
HT may increase the risk ofdeep-vein thrombosis(DVT) andgallbladder disease. Your healthcare provider may recommend against HT if you have had a condition such as:
Vaginallaser treatmentmay be an option if other methods don’t help or HRT isn’t suitable for you, although it’s somewhat controversial. Some research suggests it can help with atrophy, dryness, and pain. However, more studies are needed to assess long-term safety and effectiveness.Ask a healthcare provider to discuss the potential benefits and risks.
Self-Care for Vaginal Atrophy
Using lubricants during intercourse can reduce friction and irritation of thin, dry tissue. A dab on your partner’s penis might help, too. When choosing OTC products, here’s what to look for:
Other ways to ease symptoms are:
The reality is that vaginal atrophy can affect self-esteem, intimacy, relationships, and overall quality of life.There are ways to ease symptoms and improve intimacy, but it takes a willingness to talk about it with your partner if you have one and with a healthcare provider, such as agynecologist.
Postmenopause: When Does Vaginal Atrophy Improve?
About 15% of premenopausal women and 50% to 70% ofpostmenopausalwomen have some symptoms of vaginal atrophy.
There’s no cure, but you don’t have to live with severe symptoms. If one treatment doesn’t work, you can try another. Work with your provider to determine the best way to ease your symptoms. Medical treatment and self-care measures can improve symptoms and quality of life.
Summary
Vaginal atrophy is when the lining of the vagina becomes thinner and dryer. It happens as estrogen levels drop due to menopause. It also involves changes to the vulva, pelvic floor, and urinary tract.
Self-care remedies include moisturizers and using lubricants during intercourse. Staying sexually active can also help. Otherwise, there are some medical treatments, including topical estrogen and hormone therapy, you can try.
Vaginal atrophy is a quality-of-life issue. It may be common with menopause, but that doesn’t mean you must live with severe symptoms. Work with a healthcare provider to find a solution that works for you.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Ohio State University.Vaginal atrophy (or GSM) isn’t a ‘normal’ side effect of menopause or aging - treatments can help.Nappi RE, Martini E, Cucinella L, et al.Addressing vulvovaginal atrophy (Vva)/genitourinary syndrome of menopause (Gsm) for healthy aging in women.Front Endocrinol.2019;10:473988. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00561Benini V, Ruffolo AF, Casiraghi A, et al.New innovations for the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy: an up-to-date review.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(6):770. doi:10.3390/medicina58060770University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Atrophic vaginitis.Jin J.Vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.JAMA. 2017;317(13):1388-1388. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.0833Miller JM, Garcia CE, Hortsch SB, Guo Y, Schimpf MO.Does instruction to eliminate coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated, and artificially sweetened beverages improve lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective trial.J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2016;43(1):69-79. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000000197American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians.Disorders of the vulva: Common causes of vulvar pain, burning, and itching.McCarthy M, Raval AP.The peri-menopause in a woman’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegenerative disease.Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020;17(1):317. doi:10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9Hoffmann JN, You HM, Hedberg EC, Jordan JA, McClintock MK.Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and candida among postmenopausal women in the United States.The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.2014;69(Suppl 2):S205-S214. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbu105Harvard Health.By the way, doctor: Is vaginal estrogen safe?University of Utah.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Hormone therapy for menopause.Zipper R, Lamvu G.Vaginal laser therapy for gynecologic conditions: re-examining the controversy and where do we go from here.J Comp Eff Res.2022;11(11):843-851. doi:10.2217/cer-2021-028Palacios S, Combalia J, Emsellem C, Gaslain Y, Khorsandi D.Therapies for the management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause.Post Reprod Health.2020;26(1):32-42. doi:10.1177/2053369119866341Pompei LM, Wender MCO, Kulak J, Pires I, Suvarna Y, Nappi RE.Impact of postmenopausal vaginal discomfort on sex and relationships in Brazil: the CLOSER survey.Climacteric. 2021;24(6):593-599. doi:10.1080/13697137.2021.1908988Angelou K, Grigoriadis T, Diakosavvas M, et al.The genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of the recent data.Cureus.2020;12(4). doi:10.7759/cureus.7586
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Ohio State University.Vaginal atrophy (or GSM) isn’t a ‘normal’ side effect of menopause or aging - treatments can help.Nappi RE, Martini E, Cucinella L, et al.Addressing vulvovaginal atrophy (Vva)/genitourinary syndrome of menopause (Gsm) for healthy aging in women.Front Endocrinol.2019;10:473988. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00561Benini V, Ruffolo AF, Casiraghi A, et al.New innovations for the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy: an up-to-date review.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(6):770. doi:10.3390/medicina58060770University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Atrophic vaginitis.Jin J.Vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.JAMA. 2017;317(13):1388-1388. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.0833Miller JM, Garcia CE, Hortsch SB, Guo Y, Schimpf MO.Does instruction to eliminate coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated, and artificially sweetened beverages improve lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective trial.J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2016;43(1):69-79. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000000197American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians.Disorders of the vulva: Common causes of vulvar pain, burning, and itching.McCarthy M, Raval AP.The peri-menopause in a woman’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegenerative disease.Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020;17(1):317. doi:10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9Hoffmann JN, You HM, Hedberg EC, Jordan JA, McClintock MK.Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and candida among postmenopausal women in the United States.The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.2014;69(Suppl 2):S205-S214. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbu105Harvard Health.By the way, doctor: Is vaginal estrogen safe?University of Utah.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Hormone therapy for menopause.Zipper R, Lamvu G.Vaginal laser therapy for gynecologic conditions: re-examining the controversy and where do we go from here.J Comp Eff Res.2022;11(11):843-851. doi:10.2217/cer-2021-028Palacios S, Combalia J, Emsellem C, Gaslain Y, Khorsandi D.Therapies for the management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause.Post Reprod Health.2020;26(1):32-42. doi:10.1177/2053369119866341Pompei LM, Wender MCO, Kulak J, Pires I, Suvarna Y, Nappi RE.Impact of postmenopausal vaginal discomfort on sex and relationships in Brazil: the CLOSER survey.Climacteric. 2021;24(6):593-599. doi:10.1080/13697137.2021.1908988Angelou K, Grigoriadis T, Diakosavvas M, et al.The genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of the recent data.Cureus.2020;12(4). doi:10.7759/cureus.7586
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The Ohio State University.Vaginal atrophy (or GSM) isn’t a ‘normal’ side effect of menopause or aging - treatments can help.Nappi RE, Martini E, Cucinella L, et al.Addressing vulvovaginal atrophy (Vva)/genitourinary syndrome of menopause (Gsm) for healthy aging in women.Front Endocrinol.2019;10:473988. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00561Benini V, Ruffolo AF, Casiraghi A, et al.New innovations for the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy: an up-to-date review.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(6):770. doi:10.3390/medicina58060770University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Atrophic vaginitis.Jin J.Vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.JAMA. 2017;317(13):1388-1388. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.0833Miller JM, Garcia CE, Hortsch SB, Guo Y, Schimpf MO.Does instruction to eliminate coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated, and artificially sweetened beverages improve lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective trial.J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2016;43(1):69-79. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000000197American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians.Disorders of the vulva: Common causes of vulvar pain, burning, and itching.McCarthy M, Raval AP.The peri-menopause in a woman’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegenerative disease.Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020;17(1):317. doi:10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9Hoffmann JN, You HM, Hedberg EC, Jordan JA, McClintock MK.Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and candida among postmenopausal women in the United States.The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.2014;69(Suppl 2):S205-S214. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbu105Harvard Health.By the way, doctor: Is vaginal estrogen safe?University of Utah.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Hormone therapy for menopause.Zipper R, Lamvu G.Vaginal laser therapy for gynecologic conditions: re-examining the controversy and where do we go from here.J Comp Eff Res.2022;11(11):843-851. doi:10.2217/cer-2021-028Palacios S, Combalia J, Emsellem C, Gaslain Y, Khorsandi D.Therapies for the management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause.Post Reprod Health.2020;26(1):32-42. doi:10.1177/2053369119866341Pompei LM, Wender MCO, Kulak J, Pires I, Suvarna Y, Nappi RE.Impact of postmenopausal vaginal discomfort on sex and relationships in Brazil: the CLOSER survey.Climacteric. 2021;24(6):593-599. doi:10.1080/13697137.2021.1908988Angelou K, Grigoriadis T, Diakosavvas M, et al.The genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of the recent data.Cureus.2020;12(4). doi:10.7759/cureus.7586
The Ohio State University.Vaginal atrophy (or GSM) isn’t a ‘normal’ side effect of menopause or aging - treatments can help.
Nappi RE, Martini E, Cucinella L, et al.Addressing vulvovaginal atrophy (Vva)/genitourinary syndrome of menopause (Gsm) for healthy aging in women.Front Endocrinol.2019;10:473988. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00561
Benini V, Ruffolo AF, Casiraghi A, et al.New innovations for the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy: an up-to-date review.Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(6):770. doi:10.3390/medicina58060770
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Atrophic vaginitis.
Jin J.Vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.JAMA. 2017;317(13):1388-1388. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.0833
Miller JM, Garcia CE, Hortsch SB, Guo Y, Schimpf MO.Does instruction to eliminate coffee, tea, alcohol, carbonated, and artificially sweetened beverages improve lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective trial.J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2016;43(1):69-79. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000000197
American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians.Disorders of the vulva: Common causes of vulvar pain, burning, and itching.
McCarthy M, Raval AP.The peri-menopause in a woman’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegenerative disease.Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020;17(1):317. doi:10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9
Hoffmann JN, You HM, Hedberg EC, Jordan JA, McClintock MK.Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and candida among postmenopausal women in the United States.The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.2014;69(Suppl 2):S205-S214. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbu105
Harvard Health.By the way, doctor: Is vaginal estrogen safe?
University of Utah.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Hormone therapy for menopause.
Zipper R, Lamvu G.Vaginal laser therapy for gynecologic conditions: re-examining the controversy and where do we go from here.J Comp Eff Res.2022;11(11):843-851. doi:10.2217/cer-2021-028
Palacios S, Combalia J, Emsellem C, Gaslain Y, Khorsandi D.Therapies for the management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause.Post Reprod Health.2020;26(1):32-42. doi:10.1177/2053369119866341
Pompei LM, Wender MCO, Kulak J, Pires I, Suvarna Y, Nappi RE.Impact of postmenopausal vaginal discomfort on sex and relationships in Brazil: the CLOSER survey.Climacteric. 2021;24(6):593-599. doi:10.1080/13697137.2021.1908988
Angelou K, Grigoriadis T, Diakosavvas M, et al.The genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of the recent data.Cureus.2020;12(4). doi:10.7759/cureus.7586
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