5 Signs Your Vagina is Atrophying

As vital chemical messengers in your body, your hormones control a lot of things, from your metabolism and sleep cycles to your libido and condition of your skin and hair. When a woman experiences a significant drop in estrogen production — typically as a result of menopause — she may also notice uncomfortable, disturbing symptoms of a condition called vaginal atrophy. 

Though it’s not discussed often, vaginal atrophy is very common, affecting almost half of women who enter menopause.

Dr. Kevin Hooker is highly experienced at diagnosing and treating vaginal atrophy, also known as genitourinary syndrome. He welcomes your questions if you’re suffering from vaginal atrophy discomfort, and offers effective treatment for the problem.

The major symptoms that point to vaginal atrophy

We want to arm you with knowledge of vaginal atrophy because the more familiar you are with its symptoms, the sooner you can connect them with this condition and seek treatment. The uncomfortable signs that point to vaginal atrophy all cause your vaginal walls to become significantly thinner, drier, and even inflamed.

We’ve put together an easy-to-remember list of the five most frequently seen indicators of genitourinary syndrome here:

1. Noticeable vaginal dryness

If your vagina is consistently dry, intercourse becomes very challenging and painful. A lack of moisture causes your vaginal pH to get out of whack, which puts you at higher risk for yeast infections, as well as injury due to how thin and delicate your vaginal wall has become. 

2. Vaginal itching and burning

Vaginal atrophy causes itching, and by scratching, you can inadvertently cause a tear in your vaginal wall that’s not only painful, but leaves you vulnerable to infection. The itching may also be connected to a yeast infection, which requires treatment.

3. Vaginal discharge

If you notice vaginal discharge that’s yellowish, this is also a sign of vaginal atrophy. It may also have a bad odor.

4. More frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) 

Another side effect of genitourinary syndrome are urinary tract infections. These can be very uncomfortable and are marked by an urgent need to urinate (but when you do, barely any urine comes out and you feel a burning sensation), blood-tinged urine, and pelvic pain.

5. Urinary incontinence

It may surprise you to learn that incontinence, especially urge incontinence, is another sign that you have vaginal atrophy. Urge incontinence occurs when you suddenly feel the need to urinate and your bladder constricts when it isn’t supposed to. As a result, a small bit of urine escapes. This is an inconvenient and embarrassing problem for many women. 

Thought the vast majority of women who have vaginal atrophy are menopausal or post-menopausal, other groups at higher risk for it are breastfeeding women, women who have had oophorectomies (ovary removal), women taking hormone therapy for conditions like breast cancer, and even women going through periods of great stress. 

How can I get relief for vaginal atrophy?

Since genitourinary syndrome causes considerable pain and impacts your quality of life significantly, finding the proper treatment is critical. Dr. Hooker offers the innovative MonaLisa TouchⓇ treatment platform that features highly targeted laser energy delivered with a small handheld device that’s gently inserted into your vagina.

The heat from the MonaLisa Touch treatment fuels the production of collagen and elastin, causing your vaginal walls to become thicker and stronger. The dryness, pain, and itchy symptoms you’ve been living with disappear and your vagina’s pH returns to a state of equilibrium. 

Patients rave about MonaLisa Touch because it’s:

• Comfortable and painless
• Convenient, as treatment is delivered right here in our office
• Non-disruptive — treatments last just five minutes on average
• Not time-intensive, because no post-treatment downtime is required
• FDA-approved for genitourinary symptoms

Dr. Hooker typically performs three treatments over several months, and it’s best to refrain from sexual intercourse for five days post-treatment in order to see optimal results. 

You receive a thorough evaluation by Dr. Hooker to see if you’re a good candidate for MonaLisa Touch treatment. It’s appropriate for many women, and Dr. Hooker is always happy to answer all of your questions about vaginal atrophy and MonaLisa Touch.

Call the Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Hooker to learn more about MonaLisa Touch and if it’s right for you, or book one using our convenient online booking tool.