Vaginal health is easy to ignore when everything seems fine. But as you age and pass through different life stages and experiences, it’s not uncommon to experience issues that can cause an array of unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) symptoms, like burning, itching, and discomfort.
While some symptoms may be due to temporary vaginal dryness, others may be related to a vaginal atrophy — a chronic condition that tends to become even more common with age.
Knowing the differences between these two issues is important for making sure you get the care you need as soon as possible to protect your health and restore your comfort.
As a leading provider of comprehensive women's healthcare services, Shamsah Amersi, MD, is dedicating this post to a better understanding of these two very common — yet very different — concerns.
The first difference between these two concerns is pretty basic. Vaginal dryness is actually a symptom, while vaginal atrophy is a condition. That matters, because while vaginal dryness is often a hallmark symptom for vaginal atrophy, it can be the result of other conditions, too.
In a nutshell, vaginal dryness simply means your vagina isn’t producing the normal amount of natural lubricants it needs to stay most and elastic. Certainly, age-related changes in vaginal atrophy are one possible cause. But other potential triggers include:
Dryness may occur occasionally, or it may happen on a regular, persistent basis.
Most women with vaginal dryness experience symptoms like burning, itching, or a feeling of tightness. Increased friction also leads to discomfort during or after intercourse, and in some instances, you may have light spotting, as well.
Except when it’s associated with a chronic issue like vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness usually isn’t a sign that there’s anything inherently wrong with the vaginal tissue. Instead, it simply means moisture levels are reduced.
The first step in finding relief is determining the underlying trigger. A review of your medications and lifestyle factors and a pelvic exam usually provide plenty of clues, but in some instances, we may order lab tests — for instance, to rule out infections.
Depending on the underlying cause, your treatment may include a change in medications, avoiding irritating care products, using vaginal lubricants or moisturizers, supporting a normal hormone balance, or making lifestyle adjustments to support overall wellness and comfort.
Sometimes called atrophic vaginitis or, more recently, genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), vaginal atrophy often features vaginal dryness as a central symptom, but the condition goes far deeper than dryness alone.
Vaginal atrophy occurs as declining estrogen levels cause the vaginal tissue to change, becoming thinner, less elastic, and more fragile over time. Natural lubrication declines, and changes in blood flow and tissue structure alter the way the vagina feels and responds.
Symptoms of vaginal atrophy tend to progressively worsen without a proactive treatment plan, causing increased discomfort, burning, and itching sensations, along with pain and spotting during and after intercourse and an increase in both vaginal and urinary tract infections.
Many women experience an increase in bladder leakage, vaginal discharge, and pelvic discomfort, as well.
Vaginal atrophy does involve structural changes to your vaginal tissues, and for this reason, treating it typically involves a more comprehensive plan.
While lubricants may provide temporary relief during intercourse, long-term relief often involves local or oral hormone replacement therapy to supplement estrogen lost with aging.
Often, hormone therapy is combined with other treatments, like pelvic floor therapy focused on strengthening the hammock that supports your pelvic organs.
Laser treatment using the Mona Lisa Touch® laser system can also help by stimulating collagen development and other changes inside the vaginal tissues to promote better vaginal health and function.
Like many health issues, vaginal issues often begin with subtle symptoms that are easy to overlook or ignore. But a little early intervention can go a long way toward preventing more serious discomfort and other symptoms that can take a toll on your quality of life.
To learn more about how we can help and to determine what’s causing your symptoms to begin with, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Amersi at her Santa Monica, California, office today.
