Sex Life Does not Have to End With Menopause

If you have been through a change of life, then you would possibly say that your sex life has ne’er been higher. After all, the pregnancy worries are gone and so are the children. You can be spontaneous! Have sex in any room of the house!
You’re now not running your youngsters to endless activities, thus you’ve got a lot of energy at the tip of the day. You’re relaxed and comfortable with who you are and what you want.

Right?
Hold up. For every girl within the throes of biological time sexual seventh heaven, there is a girl (or 2 or three) out there WHO quivers at the mere mention of sex. Or, she may have the desire— but not the ability. Sexual dysfunction affects millions of women in the United States.

Face it, a woman’s drive is kind of complicated. Aside from the emotional aspects, there are unit physical changes throughout the change of life which will, well, complicate things.

Take those further pounds and therefore the altered body form that escorts them (hello, belly fat!). A woman might feel uncomfortable or self-conscious regarding her body— and might barely acknowledge it as her own.
Poor self-image aside, if you’re carrying extra weight, physical problems like reduced energy or reduced mobility may interfere with your sexual function.

And what of those momentous hormonal changes go hand-in-hand with menopause? While your body is busy ushering your estrogen out, it’s welcoming in some pretty significant vaginal changes, like dryness and thinning of its lining (otherwise known as vaginal atrophy). Less steroid hormone equals less canal lubrication, leading to a less elastic vagina. What ensues? Pain, burning, tightness, or soreness. In fact, in step with the North Yankee change of life Society, vaginal atrophy is the most common cause of painful sex at midlife and beyond.

Other doable sex-busters: hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, irregular bleeding, sleep problems and insomnia. Those usual suspects of menopause.

So, what’s a menopausal woman to do? First, bear in mind that sexual issues don’t seem to be issued if they are not pesky to you or your partner. Everyone has their own “normal” and their own threshold for lease a drag get within the manner of their relationship (or not).

Before you throw up your hands in despair (or throw out your lacy lingerie), here are some ideas worth considering:

• Physical therapy for pelvic discomfort
• Kegel exercises
• Regular sexual activity, which promotes vaginal health and blood flow. To make it easier, you may want to consider:
  • Vaginal dilators
  • Over-the-counter vaginal lubricants (for temporary relief of dryness before and during sex)
  • Over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers (for longer-term relief from dryness)
  • Low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy in cream, ring, or vaginal tablet form (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness)
  • Higher-dose hormone therapy throughout the body via pills, patches, and other preparations (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness, but generally reserved for women with bothersome hot flashes. A recent Australian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a testosterone patch may significantly improve a woman’s sexual satisfaction. The patch is currently available in Europe to treat loss of sexual desire in women, but it is associated with a possible increase in the risk of breast cancer. More research is needed before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would approve the therapy.

Other treatments:

• Laser therapy. A new non-hormonal therapy, the MonaLisa Touch is a fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser specially designed to help restore vaginal health in postmenopausal women. It was recently introduced in this country after successfully treating more than 15,000 patients around the world. Performed by an OB/GYN, it works by delivering controlled energy to the vaginal tissue to revitalize the cells to make more collagen (which is an essential ingredient in vaginal cell health) and is an in-office, virtually pain-free procedure requiring no anesthesia.
• Flibanserin. Touted because of the “female anit-impotence drug,” the bureau doubly rejected this drug, citing safety considerations like low-pressure level, giddiness, and fainting. As of this writing, an FDA advisory panel has recommended approval of the drug on the condition that the drug’s manufacturer, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, try to reduce the risks of side effects. Stay tuned for a final decision, possibly in summer 2015.
• Ospemifene (Osphena): This drug was approved by the federal agency in 2013 for biological time ladies World Health Organization expertise pain or discomfort throughout sexuality. The once-a-day pill, which works by acting like a steroid hormone in some elements of the body, helps create epithelial duct tissue thicker and fewer fragile.

Any woman considering taking any medication should have a thorough discussion with her health care provider to consider the risks and benefits.