Vaginal symptoms in the menopause: cause, impact and treatment combination options

Abstract

Vaginal changes during the menopause may cause women to present to their practice nurse. Pearl Clark Brown explains diagnosis and management.

Vaginal symptoms which appear around the time of the menopause often occur as a result of declining levels of oestrogen within the epithelial tissues. Vaginal dryness, painful sex, itching, inflammation, burning and soreness are common symptoms around this time. It is thought that up to 80% of women will develop vaginal symptoms in varying degrees once menopausal. The effect that this can have on theindividual can be far reaching, impacting on normal day to day tasks such as sitting, the ability to have sex and being able to take part in exercise. Treatment options include vaginal oestrogen, non hormonal vaginal moisturisers, use of personal lubricants and emollients for washing with. Optimal relief can involve a combined treatment approach used regularly alongside a sliding scale of product use according to the severity of symptoms in response to stressors such as sex, stress or situations known to exacerbate symptoms.