Menopause

Menopause is basically the body’s way of telling a woman that she has ended her menstruation. Unlike the onset of menstruation, which starts on a single day usually out of nowhere, when it comes to menopause the changes that lead up to it actually take place over several years. Most women are well aware when they are reaching menopause in their life and although it can come at almost any time it is most common among women between the ages of forty-two and fifty-six.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Technically, you don't actually "hit" menopause until it's been one year since your final menstrual period. The signs and symptoms of menopause, however, often appear long before the one-year anniversary of your final period. They include:

·   Irregular periods
·   Decreased fertility
·   Vaginal dryness
·   Hot flashes
·   Sleep disturbances
·   Mood swings
·   Increased abdominal fat
·   Thinning hair
·   Loss of breast fullness

Menopause and Candida Albicans

Of all vaginal infections, yeast, infections are one of the main symptoms of menopause, caused by the fluctuating hormones leading to bacteria in the vagina going out of control. Baths, excess moisture in the vagina, or damp or tight clothes may lead to yeast infections. With the drop of estrogen levels during menopause, the walls of the vagina become thinner and weak. 

During intercourse, the walls become irritated, leaving tiny scars and scratches, enabling bacteria to thrive. Higher levels of estrogen, due to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also increase the chance of yeast infections. Damp and moist vagina, due to increased vaginal discharge caused by higher levels of estrogen, is a great breeding ground for yeast and bacteria.

The signs of yeast infection during menopause, as well as otherwise, are: inflammation, continued itching and irritation, pain during intercourse, frequent urination, and a thick, white discharge of the vagina.

Vaginal Dryness, Yeast Infections & Menopause FAQs

   Is vaginal dryness common during menopause? 

Vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms of menopause and its onset can be fairly sudden at any stage of the menopause. Menopause Vaginal Dryness mainly affects women between 40-65 years although it can happen at anytime for reasons other than menopause.

As the vaginal tissues re-moisturize they recover their natural elasticity and functions. The degree to which their full function is able to return may be dependant on the severity of the atrophy. 

   How many women suffer from vaginal dryness in menopause?

As many as 80% of women entering menopause are effected by vaginal dryness and about 50% of women completing menopause continue to experience vaginal dryness.

   Is it usual to feel shocked by these changes?

To feel suddenly let down by one’s body, to discover that the “warm wet welcome” that was always taken for granted now is not, can be shocking. Vaginal dryness can ruin sexual intercourse and intimacy for some women and leave many feeling inadequate, guilty and confused.

   Why does vaginal dryness happen during the menopause?

The mucous membranes of the vagina produce a fluid or natural lubricant that keeps the vagina moist, elastic and strong. Estrogen in the body encourages the vaginal tissues to produce this lubricant. The body’s own natural lubricant is acidic which helps protect the vagina from bacterial and fungal infections. 
As estrogen levels fall during menopause the vaginal tissues produce less of the lubricant. This then can cause the vagina to become dry and the tissues to lose their elasticity and strength. As the vaginal tissues become thinner they become more fragile and sensitive. 

   Can vaginal dryness cause more Thrush infections?

As the vaginal tissues become drier they also lose the acidic protection of the natural lubricant and the vaginal environment is then less effective at fighting infections. Also the use of any product that could reduce the natural acidity of the vagina, such as douches, similarly impacts the vagina’s ability to fight infections. Therefore, more frequent Thrush and urinary tract infections are a possibility with vaginal dryness. 

   Are there other changes I need to be aware of (down there)?

It is not often mentioned that as the estrogen levels decline, less blood flows to the reproductive areas; as less blood reaches the vaginal tissues the cells begin to lose their elasticity and the vagina might begin to sag. It is also possible that the external appearance will change as the vulval tissues become thinner.

   What are the symptoms of vaginal dryness?

The symptoms are itching, dryness, burning, irritation, soreness or pain during sexual intercourse. Without its natural lubrication the vagina becomes more fragile, less lubrication means more friction, which can damage the thinning vagina. Bleeding after intercourse can be a sign of vaginal tissue rupture. Forceful penetration can tear the fragile vaginal tissues.

Menopausal itching is a very distressing symptom, and can be internal or external. External itching can be due to the vulval tissues drying, losing their acidic and protective moisture. 

An increased susceptibility to infection is another possibility with menopause vaginal dryness. As the acidity of the vagina reduces so the usual protective vaginal environment loses its ability to fight vaginal infections such as Candida albicans (Thrush) and other micro-organisms.

   What are the treatments for menopause vaginal dryness?

One of the most common seems to be “try to have sexual intercourse as often as possible”; this increases the blood flow, helps stimulate natural lubricant production and so keeps the vagina moist. In fact abstinence from sexual intercourse is thought to make menopause vaginal dryness worse. This is the “use-it-or-lose-it” approach.
 
The treatment options include:
1. HRT and local estrogen application (such as vaginal rings, pessaries and creams).
2. Personal lubricants during sexual intercourse, to make sex less painful.
3. Vaginal moisturizers for regular rehydration of the vaginal tissues. This is a similar principle to facial moisturizers. 

Natural Treatment 

Treatment often varies when it comes to menopause, depending on the particular woman and her reported symptoms. One of the most commonly prescribed methods of treatment involves using herbs for menopause. There are actually quite a few different herbs for menopause that have proven to be quite effective, four in particular being black cohosh, dong quai, maca root, and red clover. 

The first, black cohosh, is a flowering plant that grows naturally in Eastern North America, and it contains certain phytochemicals that are considered as being able to relieve most of the symptoms that are caused by menopause. This herb for menopause really works a lot like estrogen, in that it helps to produce lubrication in the vagina and works to regulate the body’s overall temperature.

Dong quai is another of the most effective herbs for menopause. It is an herb that is native to China and which works by dilating blood vessels, thereby increasing the blood flow in the body. This helps to relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness in particular, but also is assistive in treating various other symptoms caused by menopause as well.
 
Maca root is the herb used for menopause that is highly beneficial because it encourages an increase and balance between estrogen and progesterone, which in turn helps to reduce the amount and intensity of hot flashes and which. This treatment also helps to restore libido, meaning that the woman will gain a lot of her sex drive back. 

The last of the herbs for menopause symptom relief to be discussed here, red clover, is an herb that grows naturally in Europe and Asia and which helps most with the hot flashes and mood swings. Even though herbs are natural and safe, you will still want to speak to your doctor before starting to take any of them especially if you are planning to do it on a regular basis.

Colloidal Silver As A Treatment

Silver is a powerful, natural prophylactic/antibiotic, used for thousands of years, with no side effects. It is a catalyst, disabling the particular enzyme that all one-celled bacteria, fungus and virus, use for their oxygen metabolism, they suffocate. Yet it is of no harm to human enzymes or any part of the human body chemistry. And it kills all disease-causing organisms, in six minutes or less, upon contact, even those pleomorphic, no matter how they mutate. Resistant strains fail to develop, and the body doesn't develop a tolerance. 

Colloidal Silver is both a remedy and a prevention of infections of any kind. Having sufficient Colloidal Silver in your body is to have a superior, second immune system. It was in common use until 1938. Great Grandma put a silver dollar in the milk, to keep it fresh at room temperature. For more details on Colloidal Silver as a treatment, see Colloidal Silver’s anti-fungal properties page.

Definitions (For Those of Us Who are Medically Challenged)

 
 REFERENCES:

  Menopause Symptoms

  Menopause and Vaginal Dryness

  Yeast Infections and Menopause

 Natural Remedies for Candida

 Treatment of Fungus with Colloidal Silver

 Online Medical Dictionary