Discomfort and burning in the vagina at menopause

Vaginal discomfort during menopause is one of the many problems of this period that worries women and is the main reason for the disruption of sexual life during menopause. At first glance, this problem is not a problem as such, but in fact it brings a lot of subjective unpleasant sensations. Therefore, it is very important not to tolerate such changes, but to consult a doctor to solve this problem.

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Causes vaginal discomfort during menopause

The reasons for the development of any changes during menopause are primarily associated with the disruption of normal hormonal levels; as for changes in the genitals, here they are mainly associated with hormones.

Cell trophism is mainly due to normal blood circulation in the vessels of the subcutaneous tissue, which contribute to the nutrition of the skin itself, because there are no vessels in the skin. At the same time, oxygen that enters the basal layer of the skin activates the respiratory chain and thus energy is synthesized, which is deposited in the form of ATP reserves. At the same time, for any process of cell division, it is necessary to have an energy reserve, which ensures the divergence of cells during mitosis. This is how normal cell division and the formation of new skin cells and glands occur. At an older age, normal blood circulation in the peripheral vessels is disrupted under the influence of concomitant pathology, for example, with arterial hypertension or diabetes mellitus. All these processes significantly worsen normal blood circulation in the subcutaneous tissue and the amount of energy that is formed under conditions of oxygen starvation is insufficient to ensure the normal process of cell division. Therefore, the cells that are formed in this case have an imperfect structure and the functioning of the glands is insufficient. In addition, the number of cells also decreases, which disrupts the thickness of the skin layer itself. All these changes at the level of cellular trophism and age-related changes in cells contribute to the disruption of skin function. Thus, the main reason for the development of discomfort in the vagina during menopause is age-related changes at the level of the skin cells themselves, and all other changes are secondary.

One of the secondary causes of discomfort is precisely the disruption of the hormonal function of the ovariomenstrual cycle, which underlies local changes. The pathogenesis of such changes is that under normal conditions, female sex hormones ensure the growth and differentiation of cells throughout the body. Under the influence of estrogen deficiency, the general condition of the body is suppressed, the processes of cell differentiation are reduced and skin aging, wrinkles, dry and brittle nails and hair, and hair loss occur. Later changes during menopause are trophic changes in the urethra, which occur against the background of decreased differentiation of epithelial cells and connective tissue and contribute to a burning sensation and frequent urination. Dry skin of the genitals, itching, and discomfort during sexual intercourse also occur. This contributes to the frequent development of urogenital infections, since the barrier function of vaginal mucus is disrupted.

Therefore, the main reasons for the development of vaginal discomfort during menopause can be considered a violation of cell proliferation not only of the vaginal epithelium, but also of the glands, which develops from insufficient amounts of estrogens in the female body, as well as from involutional changes in blood circulation. Such pathogenesis of the development of this problem must be taken into account when choosing treatment, using not only symptomatic methods, but also pathogenetic ones.

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Symptoms vaginal discomfort during menopause

The development of the clinical picture, which is typical for burning and discomfort in the vagina during menopause, occurs gradually, which is somewhat dangerous in this case. This is due to the fact that trophic changes do not occur immediately and the symptoms are not as pronounced as they can be with pathology of other organs during menopause.

Since a sharp hormonal decline disrupts the functioning of all internal organs and affects metabolism, symptoms can be observed from all sensitive organs and systems. Most often, the first clinical symptoms during menopause are observed from other organs - these are vasomotor and emotional-mental changes. A woman is concerned about irritability, mood swings, depression, decreased sexual desire, insomnia, fatigue. Also, vegetative manifestations can often be attacks of sweating, fever, headache and palpitations. These complaints have a priority place, in comparison with complaints of discomfort in the vagina, since they occur first and therefore it is very important to know what other symptoms are possible with this pathology in order to correct the situation in time.

The first signs of vaginal discomfort during menopause may appear several years after the last menstruation, that is, in the midst of the menopause period. In this case, there may be signs of burning in the vagina or itching, which are not accompanied by any discharge. There may also be manifestations during urination in the form of frequent unpleasant sensations in the vagina, which is associated with irritation of the thin mucous membrane. Very often, women note a decrease in sexual desire, which is associated not only with hormonal imbalance, but also with unpleasant sensations during sexual intercourse. This occurs due to the fact that the mucous membrane of the vagina secretes less secretion and becomes thinner, which contributes to microtraumatization and the occurrence of pain and burning. Therefore, at first glance, such an unpleasant problem becomes very important for the intimate life of a married couple. This symptom should not be ignored, explaining it by the aging of the female body, because this process can be regulated by timely contact with a doctor and complete trust with the disclosure of all complaints and problems that bother a woman during this period.

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Complications and consequences

The consequence of the appearance of symptoms of dryness, burning and discomfort in the vagina may be not only an aggravation of the pathology, but also an infectious inflammation, which has an ascending nature due to a violation of the function of the vaginal mucous secretion. This may have complications in the form of the addition of other urogenital flora with bacterial colpitis, vaginitis. In case of untimely treatment by a doctor, inflammation of the uterine appendages - adnexitis, as well as inflammation of the renal pelvis and bladder with the development of pyelonephritis and cystitis may develop.

Another complication of the pathology may be vulvar kraurosis - this is a background precancerous disease that develops as a manifestation of involutional processes of female genital organs. Therefore, it is very important to conduct a comprehensive examination of the woman with histological confirmation of the diagnosis.

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Diagnostics vaginal discomfort during menopause

It is very important to establish a timely and correct diagnosis of this pathology during menopause with timely treatment of the disease, because in the future, involutional processes intensify and dystrophic processes and various complications can develop. It is necessary to clearly differentiate the nature of functional disorders and their dependence on the onset of menopause, because for complex treatment it is necessary to take into account not only the symptom of discomfort in the vagina itself, but also the correction of climacteric changes. Often women do not know what to associate their condition with or simply do not talk about such sensitive problems, so it is necessary to be attentive to this issue and not to exclude any symptoms as a manifestation of the climacteric period. First of all, it is necessary to begin diagnostics with a thorough collection of anamnesis. It is necessary to find out when such symptoms first appeared and whether this is associated with a delay in menstruation. It is necessary to find out what the nature of the symptoms is now, how the symptoms changed depending on the situation, and also detail the patient's complaints. It is important to trust the doctor and talk about any problems, then the diagnosis will be more accurate. For the doctor, it is necessary to ask questions clearly, even if the woman herself does not complain, it is necessary to clarify the presence of this or that symptom. As for sexual life, it is also necessary to ask about its activity and the presence of problems with it. A feature of such disorders during menopause can be their multiple nature, that is, there may be symptoms from the heart or another system, which for a woman come to the forefront and discomfort in the vagina seems to her not such an important problem, therefore, a thorough collection of anamnesis is important.

If this is a routine examination by a gynecologist, then the woman needs to be examined on the chair, which allows identifying disorders in the form of dryness of the vaginal mucosa, pathological discharge, which can confirm the diagnosis. The presence of dryness, cracks or microtraumas can be seen with the naked eye, which will allow us to judge the degree of changes and the presence of other inflammatory diseases, which often occurs against the background of discomfort in the vagina and a decrease in its protective function.

The tests that are necessary to clarify the diagnosis are general clinical and special. General tests include blood tests, biochemical blood tests with lipidogram and kidney function indicators, and urine tests. As for special tests, it is necessary to determine the level of the main female hormones in the blood. This is necessary not only for further treatment of menopause, but also to analyze the level of hormonal changes and the duration of the pathology. A microbiological examination of a smear from the posterior vaginal fornix is mandatory. This smear makes it possible to determine the possible pathogen and the degree of purity of the vagina. This is important for the purpose of differential diagnosis of various disorders. It is also necessary to conduct a histological examination of a smear from the cervical canal. It allows you to exclude metaplastic processes, which are often a complication of vaginal dryness.

For more accurate diagnostics, special instrumental methods of examination are carried out. Colposcopy is a diagnostic of the cervix with a special device that has a magnifying power of 2 to 32 times, depending on the power. Such magnification allows you to see any changes in the epithelial cover that are not determined during a normal examination in mirrors. In addition to simple colposcopy, extended colposcopy is also carried out. In this case, the area of the examined epithelium of the cervix is stained with trichloroacetic acid, iodine or Lugol's solution, and the degree of staining is looked at. Areas of altered epithelium will be pale against the background of normally stained epithelium. Such diagnostics allow you to exclude erosion, which often develops against the background of vaginal dryness, as well as the presence of vulvar kraurosis, which is also one of the possible complications. Therefore, for correct diagnosis and treatment, a comprehensive examination of the woman is necessary.

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Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics of vaginal discomfort during menopause should be carried out taking into account the symptom and in order to exclude organic pathology. That is, first of all, it is necessary to establish a connection with menopause for successful treatment of pathology. If the main symptom is unpleasant sensations in the form of burning and itching, then it is necessary to differentiate this from thrush, which is accompanied by the same subjective sensations and often occurs during menopause. But the main diagnostic difference of thrush is discharge, which is white, cheesy in nature, has an unpleasant odor, which can be immediately determined during examination. Such discharge can be very abundant or, conversely, scanty. With discomfort in the vagina, there should be no discharge, if this is only this pathology.

Also, discomfort and burning in the vagina during menopause should be differentiated from erosion. Erosion is a defect of the mucous membrane, which has a characteristic appearance during colposcopy and is easy to distinguish from simple microtraumatization with vaginal dryness. It is also important to conduct differential diagnostics with vulvar kraurosis. This is a pathology characterized by the presence of dysplastic processes in cells with a tendency to atypical growth, and this is often a consequence of untimely treatment of vaginal discomfort. Therefore, it is so important to conduct a histological examination of the smear for accurate differential diagnostics of these two processes.

Clear diagnostic tactics and careful differential diagnostics allow timely detection of any disorders during menopause and differentiation of this pathology from organic diseases for the purpose of timely treatment and improvement of the patient's quality of life, because the main thing is that the woman's complaints disappear along with the pathology.

Treatment vaginal discomfort during menopause

The treatment complex for menopause disorders should be prophylactic in nature to prevent the development of more serious complications and worsening of symptoms with possible ascending infection of the internal female genital organs. There are drug and non-drug treatment methods. Drug treatment methods are aimed at replacement therapy for hormone deficiency and at the same time at eliminating the patient's complaints and symptoms using local symptomatic treatment. Non-drug treatment is aimed at correcting hormonal imbalance on the one hand and at a prophylactic effect on the other hand. Therefore, the use of folk remedies is a priority in the complex treatment of menopause.

First of all, in the treatment of any disorders during menopause, lifestyle correction plays a huge role, since the hormonal background depends on daily biorhythms and functionally affects the disorders.

1. It is necessary to exclude sexual activity when symptoms associated with discomfort in this area appear. This will help reduce trauma to the vaginal epithelium and during the treatment of this pathology, it reduces the risk of infection with various microorganisms.
2. It is necessary to exclude the influence of irritating factors on the vagina. Bed linen and intimate underwear should be made of natural fabric, synthetics should be excluded, as this causes additional allergies.
3. It is very important to follow hygiene recommendations, since during this period the mucous membrane is especially susceptible to infection by pathogenic flora. It is better to carry out hygiene procedures twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, you also need to use moisturizing products for intimate hygiene.
4. Since vitamin A deficiency contributes to increased dryness of the skin, it is necessary to increase the intake of this mineral with food. Therefore, it is necessary to change the cooking technique so that as many useful substances as possible are preserved in the food. It is also necessary to include fruits, vegetables, carrots, and blueberries in the diet.

Such recommendations for lifestyle changes regulate the general condition of a woman, help normalize the local vaginal microflora, accelerate metabolism at the cellular level, and also normalize hormonal levels.

One of the pathogenetic principles of treating vaginal discomfort during menopause is the use of hormone replacement therapy, which helps to increase the amount of estrogens and progesterone, which in turn restores the processes of normal cell proliferation and the functioning of the glands of the genital organs. Groups of drugs that are also used for this pathology also prevent the development of other systemic manifestations during menopause.

1. Sinfazik is a complex hormone replacement drug that contains a low concentration of estrogen, which allows it to be used in the initial stages of treatment of climacteric changes. This drug is available in the pharmacological form of tablets. The dosage of the drug is selected individually. During menopause, the dosage regimen also differs, so a doctor's consultation is necessary before starting the treatment. Side effects are possible from the gastrointestinal tract in the form of stool disorders, nausea, and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth. Fluid retention and headaches are possible, so the drug is not recommended for concomitant hypertension. Contraindications to taking the drug are pathology of the blood coagulation system, pathology of the coronary vessels and veins.
2. Regulon is a drug containing estradiol and gestagen, is a high-dose drug, due to which its preventive role is manifested not only in the correction of hormonal levels, but also in the development of complications in the form of vulvar kraurosis. In this case, the drug acts on hormonal imbalance and due to this, vaginal discomfort during menopause is less pronounced. The drug has a beneficial effect due to its local action on the endometrium and glands, by increasing the secretion, which helps to normalize not only the dryness of the vaginal skin, but also restores the environment for the further normal functioning of lactic acid bacteria. Due to this effect, the secretion of vaginal mucus is restored. Regulon is available in the pharmacological form of tablets containing 21 pieces. It is necessary to start taking it from the first day of the cycle. You can start taking it from the fifth day in case of use in women of climacteric age. The course of treatment is one tablet per day for three weeks, then a seven-day break, then you need to resume taking it. Side effects are possible from the gastrointestinal tract in the form of stool disorders, nausea, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, vomiting. There may also be asthenovegetative reactions, manifestations of hormonal treatment from the chest in the form of engorgement of the mammary gland, discharge, and increased vaginal secretion. Contraindications to the use of the drug for treatment are problems with blood clotting and a history of heart attack or stroke, malignant neoplasms, severe liver damage, damage to the pancreas, diabetes, systemic diseases of connective tissue, epilepsy.
3. Sea buckthorn suppositories are often used as a local remedy, which give a good effect in the treatment of vaginal discomfort due to local action and relieve the manifestations of this pathology. Sea buckthorn is a natural source of minerals and many trace elements, which express its wide pharmaceutical effect. Sea buckthorn fruits contain vitamins of different groups - A, B, E, C. This plant contains trace elements - molybdenum, potassium, iron, magnesium, copper. These trace elements are an additional source of nutrients during climacteric changes in women. This plant contains active substances - pectins, flavonoids, tannins, phytoncides and polyunsaturated fatty acids - which improves local metabolic processes in the cell and stimulates the metabolism of the whole body. Phytoncides are natural antibacterial substances that inhibit the proliferation of most bacteria. Flavonoids have a pronounced antioxidant property, which prevents the development of malignant processes in cells and tissues. Polyunsaturated fatty acids inhibit inflammatory processes in the cell by suppressing characteristic genes and enzyme systems. Due to its wide composition, this plant is widely used in medicine and mainly in gynecology due to its beneficial properties:
   • desensitizing and restorative properties;
   • bactericidal and fungistatic properties;
   • reduces local irritation and pain;
   • tonic and local emollient properties;
   • antispasmodic property;
   • antioxidant property – prevents lipid peroxidation, which reveals its antiproliferative effect, taking into account possible age-related changes during menopause.

The drug is available in the pharmacological form of vaginal suppositories of 500 milligrams. For treatment, use one suppository twice a day, morning and evening. Before treatment, you need to carry out evening hygiene procedures. After the procedure, you need to rest for some time, which improves the effectiveness of such local treatment due to increased absorption. The course of treatment should be at least a week, and even better ten days for a better therapeutic effect. Side effects of the drug may be in the form of hypersensitivity and skin rashes, and local symptoms - itching, irritation, burning.

This local treatment promotes regression of symptoms and normalizes the function of the glands with an improvement in the barrier function of the vagina.

Traditional treatment of vaginal discomfort during menopause

Sometimes folk and herbal treatment of vaginal discomfort during menopause and other skin changes is a priority, since the constant use of hormonal medications is a little scary for women. The folk treatment methods that are used are aimed at correcting hormonal homeostasis, as well as local softening effect, and the main ones are:

1. A very good local treatment is washing with medicinal solutions. You can use celandine for this. Five tablespoons of celandine herb are poured with a liter of hot boiled water, and then infused for ten minutes. You need to wash with a warm solution twice a day. It is better to prepare a fresh solution for each time, since celandine loses its healing properties when stored in the refrigerator.
2. Natural oils have a very good effect. To prepare the medicine, take a teaspoon of olive oil, mix it with a teaspoon of sea buckthorn oil in dissolved form and add one ampoule of vitamin A. This solution should be stirred and a gauze swab should be soaked in it, then inserted into the vagina overnight. This should be done for a week and after three days you can feel a noticeable effect in the form of a reduction in symptoms.
3. A good effect in the treatment of vaginal dryness is shown by the orthilia secunda, due to its hysterotropic action. To prepare the tincture, it is necessary to collect the leaves of the orthilia secunda, dry them, pour in an alcohol solution and insist in the refrigerator for at least a day, and then dilute with boiled water and take one tablespoon three times a day. The course of treatment lasts one month.
4. Calendula ointment or infusion, which can be prepared at home, has a very good softening effect. For such a solution, you need to take calendula flowers, pour boiling water over them and let it brew, then make a tampon out of this solution and do the treatment procedures at night for two hours.

Homeopathic remedies are capable of not only correcting hormonal imbalance, but they can also be taken for preventive purposes to improve tissue trophism and the appearance of wrinkles and hair loss.

1. Palladium is a homeopathic remedy that has a composition of organic minerals and helps to normalize hormonal levels during menopause due to acoustic and magnetic resonance with the organs and systems of the body. The drug also reduces proliferative processes at the cellular level and improves cellular differentiation processes. Palladium is used in the pharmacological form of homeopathic drops and is dosed three drops three times a day half an hour before meals or an hour after. The course of treatment with the drug is long - about two months. No side effects have been identified. Contraindications to taking Palladium are hypersensitivity to the components of the drug and use for men.
2. Sigetin is a homeopathic remedy that has a composition similar to the natural hormone estrogen, which allows you to replenish its supply during menopause. It has properties of both a tonic and a sedative. It has a good effect on the psychosomatic manifestations of menopause, as well as on the vegetative and psychological symptoms of menopause, increases libido against the background of a decrease in general depression. Therefore, it can be used as an initial and complex therapy at the first signs of trophic changes in the genitals, skin, hair.

Surgical treatment of this pathology is not used, since there are no specific indications for such intervention.

It is necessary to conduct immunomodulatory treatment and use physiotherapy in the form of electrophoresis and magnetic therapy in parallel with local therapy for vaginal discomfort during menopause. It is also necessary to take vitamins of group A and E, which normalize the trophism of cells and tissues that suffer from this.

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Forecast

The prognosis of complications of vaginal dryness, burning and discomfort during menopause depends on the moment of detection of the main symptoms and timely correction of the pathology. In general, with proper diagnosis and preventive measures, the menopause period can pass calmly without any special disorders. Therefore, it is important to adhere to preventive measures, which in this case may be non-specific. It is necessary to properly organize your daily routine with alternating periods of rest and work. You need to eat right, excluding all harmful foods and eating fruits and vegetables. Sleep is a necessary measure for health, its duration should be at least 8-9 hours. It is necessary to exclude stress in life and play sports, at least in the walking mode. As for sexual life, at the time of treatment until the function of normal vaginal secretion is restored, you need to refrain from intimate relations, and then they can be completely resumed, which will even be beneficial.

Dryness, burning and discomfort in the vagina during menopause is an unpleasant pathology for a woman due to the severity of symptoms, as well as the difficulty in consulting a doctor. But you should not ignore this problem, because all symptoms can be corrected, you just need to trust a specialist and the result will not keep you waiting.

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