Women have never noticed menopause before, saying things like, "My child's hands have been apart, so I resumed my married life for the first time in a while, and I started bleeding," or "My vagina is dry and I feel itchy and pain," and that women have never bothered menopause until now. You will start to feel changes in your sensitive area.

In this article, we will introduce the details of vaginal atrophy, the importance of not leaving it alone, and the treatments you can receive at the clinic. Please refer to this if you are suffering from unpleasant vaginal symptoms or are hesitant to visit a clinic.

What is vaginal atrophy?

Some people rush to visit the clinic when they feel something is wrong with their sensitive areas, while others leave it as they say it's embarrassing to consult with a gynecologist about sexual pain.

The way they deal with this is different, but what they have in common is that they don't know the fact that the vagina atrophy and changes.

Vaginal atrophy occurs due to vaginal aging

Vaginal atrophy occurs when the vagina itself ages and changes in the environment due to a decrease in estrogen secretion due to age.The vaginal wall, which has lost its elasticity and is flushed, is easily damaged and inflamed.

When the moisture is lost, the bacterial structure in the vagina also changes, reducing the number of lactobacillus, which remained acidic in the vagina, leading to a decline in the vagina from acid to alkaline, and the self-cleaning effect also weakens. This results in unpleasant symptoms in a variety of sensitive areas.

Vaginal atrophy is something that can occur in any woman. Especially at the age of 35, the amount of estrogen secretion gradually begins to decrease, and then it will plummet down the slope.

A certain degree of change is inevitable as a woman, but if the symptoms progress too much, extensive treatment may be necessary, so we recommend that you acquire the correct knowledge from a young age. .

Symptoms of vaginal atrophy

Below are the symptoms of vaginal atrophy.

• Vaginal dryness
• Sexual pain
• itch
• pain
• Abnormal color, smell, and amount of discharge
• Bleeding during and after sex
• Urinary pain
• Frequent urination and cystitis
• Urine leakage

Among the most unpleasant symptoms caused by vaginal atrophy are pain in intercourse and itching.These are caused by lower blood flow, resulting in dryness in the vagina and reduced secretions.

Furthermore, collagen in the vaginal mucosa also decreases and the vaginal folds become thinner, causing pain and bleeding during and after sexual intercourse. In addition, if urinary disorders such as urinary incontinence occur, even going out or meeting people can become a pain, causing a significant decline in quality of life.

In addition, if the vagina is dry and atrophied and the bacteria are prone to growing, inflammation and vaginitis can occur. If symptoms such as itching, yellow discharge, or odor may occur, be careful as there is a possibility that you may develop atrophic vaginitis.

It is important not to leave vaginal atrophy alone

Vaginal atrophy is most common in postmenopausal women, but it can occur even at younger ages, including irregular menstruation, long-term postpartum breastfeeding, smoking, or taking medications that suppress female hormones. Other risks of vaginal atrophy, regardless of age, are high after oophorectomy or cancer treatment.

Vaginal atrophy not only casts a dark shadow on your sex life, but if left untreated it can affect pregnancy and cause GSM (menopausal-related urinary tract syndrome) and recurrent cystitis.

The average life expectancy of Japanese women in 2020 was 87.74 years. If the average age of menopause is around 50, the next 40 years must be spent without the bounty of estrogen. It can be extremely difficult to suffer from worries and physical discomfort that you cannot talk to other people for such a long period of time.

If you start treatment for vaginal atrophy early, the time it takes to improve will be shorter.Don't give up and say, "Unpleasant symptoms in your sensitive area are due to age, so it can't be helped," and if you have any symptoms that bother you, visit the clinic as soon as possible.

What are vaginal atrophy treatments available at the clinic?

It was a long time ago that he had given up on the various unpleasant symptoms associated with vaginal atrophy, saying, "It can't be helped because of age." Currently, treatment can be received at gynecology, urology, and urology (a department that treats diseases located at the boundary area between urology and obstetrics and gynecology).

Below are the vaginal atrophy treatments available at the clinic.

• Drug therapy
• Non-hormonal therapy
• Mona Lisa Touch
• Intima Laser
• yoniHIFU etc.

Generally, non-hormonal therapies such as systemic hormone replacement therapy using oral medications, local estrogen therapy using vaginal medication, and non-hormonal therapies such as lubricants and water replenishment therapy are administered.

Symptoms can be expected to improve in about a week or two, but symptoms may recur over time, so you may need to receive treatment again.

Additionally, treatments for private treatment such as Mona Lisa Touch, Intima Laser, and yoniHIFU are also an option.This is especially recommended for those who are resistant to the side effects of hormone replacement therapy, or those who are unable to receive hormone replacement therapy due to underlying diseases.

Mona Lisa Touch is a vaginal anti-aging therapy that increases metabolic function by irradiating carbon dioxide lasers onto the vaginal mucosa, and Intima Laser is a laser that allows the atrophic vagina to approach normal by irradiating the erbium yag laser. It's treatment.

yoniHIFU is a treatment in which HIFU (high density focusing ultrasound), which has been popular as a cosmetic treatment in recent years, is applied to the vagina. Irradiation of the vaginal wall with HIFU increases collagen, and can be expected to improve vaginal atrophy.

There are many other options for treating vaginal atrophy, but you need to choose the best one depending on the symptoms and cause, so if you have any symptoms that bother you, visit the clinic as soon as possible.

summary

We have introduced the details of vaginal atrophy, the importance of not leaving it alone, and the treatments available at the clinic.

Vaginal atrophy occurs when female hormones decrease as we age, resulting in loss of moisture and elasticity in the vagina and dryness.

It can occur in any woman, but if left untreated without doing anything, vaginal atrophy will progress more rapidly and will lead to a decline in quality of life, so it is important to receive appropriate treatment early. is.

If you have any symptoms of your sensitive area, please refer to this article to see the clinic.