Читать книгу With SEX, No Drugs and Rock'n Roll Through Menopause - Susanne McAllister - Страница 53

If you do Kegel exercises regularly, you can expect results — such as less frequent urine leakage — within about a few weeks to a few months. Kegel exercises should be a permanent part of your daily routine. And there is another benefit to this: “strengthening your pelvic floor muscles results in better and more intense orgasms”! I hope you are smiling now and have started to do your Kegels whilst you are reading!

Bladder infections. Women in menopause can have more bladder infections than before. This is because the lack of oestrogen has resulted in atrophy of the urethral lining, so bacteria have a greater chance of traveling up to the bladder, resulting in an infection. Drinking plenty of water can help reduce the chances of getting a bladder infection. Cranberry juice and tablets have been found to be very helpful with managing this too.

Decreased sex drive. The lack of male and female hormones in the woman’s blood can result in a decreased interest in sex. There may be fewer orgasms or no orgasms at all. But don’t stress, I have dedicated a whole chapter for this. And it is possible that your sex life will become better than ever!

Vaginal dryness. The walls of the vagina become thinner because they no longer have oestrogen to build up the lining. This can cause pain on intercourse that can be managed with over the counter vaginal lubricants. Oestrogen in a vaginal ring can restore some of the vaginal dryness. Natural water-based lubricants or extra virgin coconut or sesame oil can be very helpful.

As mentioned, the decrease in oestrogen produced by the ovaries can lead to vaginal dryness. This can result in vaginal and vulvar itching, as well as pain during intercourse. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the symptoms of vaginal dryness in menopause.

The first thing you should do is to discontinue using harsh soap on the inner lips of the vagina. Instead, just use plain water to clean these parts of your genitals. Use white toilet paper that has no scent in it and wash your underwear in soaps that contain no perfumes or dyes.

Don’t use any anti-cling sheets in your laundry and don’t use fabric softeners when you do laundry, as these can be irritating. Don’t use perfumed douches or lotions on the inner lips of the vulva.

There are many lubricants you can purchase over the counter in order to maintain vaginal lubrication. Make sure they are natural and avoid using petroleum-based lubricants such as petroleum jelly as they do not actually lubricate the vagina and can actually increase the irritation. They can also cause breakage of latex condoms.