• Vaginal Dryness:  If you are lying awake at night basking in a hot flash, perhaps occupying yourself with some love making makes perfect sense.  Unless you have a dry vagina!  Estrogen is like a lubricant.  It keeps most of our organs in good condition and working properly, especially our vagina.  So when your estrogen levels drop, vaginal dryness can occur.  With vagina dryness your vagina can tear more easily from friction, and the vagina tissues can loose their elasticity and become smaller.  So when you put those two conditions together, throw in lack of lubrication during sex that equals pain and discomfort.  Finding balance with your hormones will help and so will a little lubricant.  My favorite is AstroGlide, not greasy and a water base product that can be found over- the- counter.  There are estrogen creams you can apply vaginally that will provide relief as well.

• Loss of Libido:  Well, if you are experiencing a dry vagina and sleepless nights it is no wonder you lack interest in sex.  If you are going through a number of symptoms on this list, there is no doubt you are probably not feeling well or maybe even depressed. You may just be hoping for a little sleep without night sweats.  So if you are “not in the mood” these days, don’t be hard on yourself.  Besides the effects of menopause, it is also normal for your libido to decline with age.  Between the ages of 55 and 65 sexual activity slows for men and women.  So you are not alone.  Don't let a decrease in hormone levels blow the flame of desire out of your love life, visit your doctor, take the appropriate blood tests and discuss hormone treatment options. 

• Skin Changes:  Well, if your vagina is not as strong or lubricated as it once was, it is no surprise we notice changes in our skin as well.  There is no escaping the aging process, but during menopause you really start seeing the effects of less estrogen.  Your skin is supported by collagen and elastin fibers, which are supported by estrogen.  That is why your skin looked so soft and contoured to your face before menopause.  For those of you who loved getting a summer suntan, the affects of sun on your skin are damaging, with or without estrogen.  And gravity plays a big role here too.  After 40 plus years of being on this planet, gravity takes a toll on everyone.  But what most of us notice during menopause is that the elasticity and firmness of our skin decreases rapidly due to less estrogen production.

• Bladder changes:  Just as lower levels of estrogen affects your skin, it also changes the flexibility of the muscle fibers around the urethra (the tube that lets urine out of the bladder).  So if you struggle to find your keys at the door when you must pee…. you can thank a lower level of estrogen for that.  Kegel exercises are a great option to reduce these effects and help firm up your urethra muscle.  Just squeeze your vagina muscles and hold them for 10 seconds, then relax and count to 5, then repeat.  It is best to do 5 sets 3 times a day. You will see a difference within a month. Also, start wearing a light mini-pad; they are much easier to change than your panties or slacks.  You may notice when you balance your hormones this symptom gets better.  If not, your doctor may suggest medications (flavoxate, imipramine, oxybutynin, probanthine) that inhibit bladder contractions; silicone caps that are inserted into the urethra; collagen injections around the urethra; or vaginal cones, which are small weights used to tone up those muscles. 

• Hair Changes:  And if this list of menopause symptoms weren't long enough, hormones also affect hair follicles.  Before menopause you had higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of androgen (hormones that produce more masculine effects, such as facial hair or a deeper voice). Because the levels of estrogen are so much lower than androgen, the estrogen can’t block the affects of your androgen hormones.  So, just like men, you can have thinning hair and you can sprout some hairy growth on your face too.  Tweezing is a good option for the few hairs on the chin, or Jolen Hair Bleach (sold at most pharmacies) works well for those upper lip hairs.  But, balancing your hormones can help save your hair on your head and ward off unwanted growth on your face.

The more educated you are about your body’s hormones going through menopause, the more you will be able to embrace your experience.  Empower yourself to take action and manage your menopause. 

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