When it comes to vaginal health and related issues, such as vaginal dryness and atrophy, many women do not feel comfortable discussing their symptoms, even with their doctors. Many times women suffer in silence and without treatment, even though there are options available to ease the discomfort. While it is a sensitive subject, many women feel encouraged when they learn that vaginal dryness and atrophy are not uncommon. There are currently treatments available to help women who suffer from both vaginal dryness and atrophy that are minimally-invasive and provide great results. Here at Rejuvé, we’re excited to present the most innovative solutions for our patients in Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell and the surrounding San Jose Bay Area.
What causes vaginal dryness and atrophy?
There are many causes for both vaginal dryness and atrophy, and we would encourage you to have a discussion with your gynecologist to determine your particular diagnosis. That being said, two common causes for both vaginal dryness and atrophy are perimenopause and menopause. When a woman goes through either perimenopause or menopause, estrogen production starts to slow down. Estrogen is the key hormone that helps to maintain levels of vaginal fluid. When a woman experiences lower levels of estrogen in her body it can often lead to vaginal dryness. The lower levels of estrogen can also cause the vagina to become less elastic and the vaginal wall can thin, which eventually can lead to vaginal atrophy. For some women, vaginal dryness and atrophy are only a minor discomfort, but for some it can be a very painful experience both physically and emotionally.
The effect on women and relationships
Oftentimes, women who are suffering from vaginal dryness and atrophy experience psychological turmoil as a result of their condition. While each woman is affected differently, it is not uncommon to feel some measure of emotional distress as a result of dryness and atrophy. In a survey conducted by the North American Menopause Society, they found that as high as 24% of American women who participated in the study felt distant from their partner as a result of vaginal atrophy, while 35% no longer felt sexually attractive due to their discomfort. These conditions can also place stress on relationships, as 65% of women surveyed reported that sex had become painful due to their condition. This pain and discomfort will sometimes cause couples to avoid sex altogether, which of course can put a strain on their relationship. While it might be common for women to experience the above referenced symptoms, it is not necessary for them to suffer in silence and without treatment. There are many solutions available today that can help.
Nutrition for vaginal health
Vaginal dryness and discomfort can be partially eased through a woman’s nutritional choices. For example, eating foods that contain lots of probiotics and good bacteria such as yogurt, pickles, or kombucha can create healthy pH levels. Lubrication levels in the vagina can be increased with foods like avocados, soy, flaxseed, and also by drinking lots of water. For urinary tract health, drinking cranberry juice can help to ward off bladder infections and promote a healthy urinary tract. While these nutritional solutions can help to ease discomfort and work as preventative care, for many women a medical solution becomes necessary if they are dealing with severe dryness or atrophy.
Medical Solutions for Vaginal Dryness and Atrophy
Typical medical solutions for vaginal dryness and atrophy include some sort of estrogen replacement therapy. These therapies come in the form of estrogen vaginal rings, vaginal tablet suppositories, or vaginal creams. While these hormone replacement therapies do produce results, there are many women who do not wish to subject themselves to a regimen of pills or creams that they must adhere to for long term relief. Some women who have had a history of breast or uterine cancer may not be able use estrogen related products. Laser treatments are available, but these can often be painful, and require extensive recovery time. For women looking for something besides painful laser treatment or long term medication, there is now a new solution that may be the answer they have been searching for.
Innovative Medical Solutions
Here at Rejuvé, we’re excited to offer an innovative solution called ThermiVA to solve the problem of vaginal dryness and atrophy for our female patients. ThermiVA can be used in conjunction with BHRT (Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy), or can be used as a standalone solution for women who are unsure about using hormone replacement in their daily lives. ThermiVA is a new minimally-invasive electrocoagulation treatment that can help to improve the vaginal anatomy. It works with radio-frequency energy that is used to gently heat tissue and provide relief from vaginal dryness and atrophy with virtually no downtime. Because of the advanced temperature controlled technology, ThermiVA is able to slowly heat the tissue to the target temperature and maintain it smartly, without the need to blast and cool the areas like other laser devices. This translates to almost no pain, but it allows for better outcomes since patients are able to tolerate the treatment for longer periods of time. ThermiVA can be used to provide internal and external rejuvenation, and requires no anesthesia – making it a much safer option for many women than typical laser treatments. The internal benefits include superior tightness, more collagen production, increased blood flow, improved sensitivity to the internal vaginal structure including the clitoral region (which can end painful intercourse), and it can provide more moisture for patients with atrophic vaginitis. ThermiVA can tighten sagging in the labia majora (outside) dramatically better than previously available laser therapies.
The before and after photos from patients who have received treatment by ThermiVA versus laser treatments show us time and time again that there is no alternative therapy that works better than ThermiVA for vaginal atrophy. In addition, the heating of the vaginal tissues can also reinvigorate the tissues in the urethral areas, improving the bladder, so the dribbling effect causing by stress incontinence and overflow incontinence improves dramatically. Women don’t have to worry about whether they will wet their underwear if they cough, sneeze, or laugh hard anymore. It really is an all-in-one option for women who are experiencing vaginal or urinary tract health issues.
Not only does ThermiVA provide superior results in vaginal tightening than laser therapies, but it can also increase the blood flow to the vaginal region, which in turn can help with dryness and heighten sensitivity in the vaginal wall and clitoral region during sexual intercourse, improving the orgasmic response. It can be considered a form of female Viagra. After as little as three treatments, women can not only start to experience comfortable sex again but enjoy sex again with their partners. ThermiVA patients consistently report satisfaction with the results they have received with this treatment. On Realself.com, a patient advocate website, ThermiVA enjoys a 97% satisfaction rate from its users.
Here at Rejuvé we are very excited to bring this innovative new treatment to our Saratoga, CA facility and are looking forward to helping many of our female patients in the Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto experience relief from the physical symptoms and emotional stress brought on by vaginal atrophy and dryness.
If you are currently suffering from vaginal dryness or atrophy due to either perimenopause or menopause, we’d like to invite you to have a consultation with our staff to find out if ThermiVA is the right choice for you. Please contact us to get the conversation started and see if this is the solution you’ve been looking for. You can give us a call at 408-740-5320 to set up a time to discuss this new and innovative solution and find out if ThermiVA in the San Jose Bay Area is the right step toward the transformation you seek.