You have just entered your menopausal years and noticed something alarming: ‘Why am I not interested in intimacy anymore?’
You aren’t the only one experiencing this dilemma.
Menopause brings with it physical and emotional symptoms that can sometimes make it hard for you to get intimate with your partner. Most women do not expect this to happen but it’s more common than you might think.
So, is there anything that you can do about it?
Glad you asked! In this article, we take a look at how people in menopause can enjoy a satisfying intimate life without letting discomfort hold them back.
Vaginal Dryness Can Be a Huge Problem
Vaginal dryness is the leading cause of painful intercourse and it affects over 50% of menopausal women. Low levels of estrogen can thin the vaginal walls, making them less elastic. As a result, one may develop vaginal atrophy. Affected individuals often experience burning and itching sensations and painful sex. Moreover, fluctuating hormone levels also lead to a reduction in the vagina’s natural lubrication, making arousal more difficult. However, don’t lose hope just yet.
Vaginal dryness can be easily treated and managed so that your intimate life keeps on thriving. Physicians often recommend vaginal moisturizers, water or silicone-based lubricants and even vaginal estrogen therapy.
For instance, Alloy Healths’ estradiol vaginal cream is an effective product that can remedy this issue. It is a plant-based bioidentical local hormone treatment that helps relieve vaginal itching, burning and dryness during intercourse.
If you need a life-changing solution to this problem, give such products a shot.
Decreased Libido Can Mess Up Your Intimate Life
Most women in menopause experience a decrease in their sex drive and this often affects their relationship with their romantic partner. But what causes it?
Well, there isn’t one simple answer to this question.
There are a lot of factors at play here. Vaginal dryness, mood swings, poor sleep, night sweats, urinary urgency, fatigue and body image issues can all contribute to an unsatisfying intimate life.
But how do you deal with all these issues?
Start by having good sleep hygiene. When you’re well-rested and managing night sweats successfully, there’s a higher chance of you enjoying physical intimacy. However, if that doesn’t help, speak to a sexual wellness counselor who can recommend effective strategies to increase comfort, improve desire and have a more satisfying experience in bed.
Mood Swings Can Pose a Threat to Your Intimacy
You might not have expected this, but female sex hormones have a lot of say in how your brain chemistry plays out.
Falling estrogen levels are known to disrupt neurotransmitter pathways for serotonin and dopamine. These feel-good chemical messengers are crucial for mood stabilization. Without these, you may feel more irritable, angry, or just sadder than usual. These mood swings can negatively affect your intimate relationship with your partner.
Start by addressing the root cause, which is dwindling hormone levels, by talking to your physician about Hormone Replacement Therapy. Next, speak to your partner about things that are holding you back and their expectations of you. You can try engaging in non-sexual intimate acts such as cuddling, hand holding, spooning, hugging, or even giving each other massages. These activities won’t just make you feel closer to your partner but they’ll also lower cortisol levels, helping you decompress and strengthen your connection with your partner.
Fatigue and Night sweats are Extremely Common
Fluctuating sex hormones can confuse the hypothalamus and lead to hot flashes or night sweats. Sleep deprivation due to night sweats can drain your energy. This energy is needed to engage in intimate acts but when you feel constantly drained, it can kill the mood for you and your partner.
So what can you do about it?
Changing your environment can greatly help improve matters for you. Keep the room cool, ideally at 60-67°F, and use a fan to help evaporate the sweat faster. This can lead to a cooling sensation on the skin, helping you feel more comfortable. Moreover, what you wear to bed can also help.
Change into cotton or moisture-wicking pajamas so that they allow for more airflow and prevent heat from being trapped.
Now that you have made some environmental changes, it’s time to address the root cause. Night sweats occur due to diminishing estrogen levels so make sure you consult your physician regarding hormonal changes. They’ll probably recommend HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy to replenish ovarian hormones in the body. HRT can greatly help with night sweats, stabilizing the body’s internal thermostats and making you feel more comfortable.
Body Image Struggles Can Make Intimacy Awkward
Menopause isn’t the kindest to our physical and mental health. Declining estrogen levels affect more than how we feel. In fact, menopause can impact skin elasticity due to rapid collagen loss. It can also reduce sebum production (which is necessary for healthy-looking skin) and even decrease moisture retention, making your skin look dry. As a result, the skin becomes more vulnerable to sun damage and accentuates fine lines and wrinkles.
Moreover, weight gain around the mid-section can also make one feel more conscious of how their body looks. This can spark negative self-talk, making one criticize their own reflection in the mirror.
Hair loss and thinning are also extremely common during this phase in life. Hormonal imbalances shrink down the hair follicles, leading to increased hair shedding, a wider hair part and loss of hair density.
All of these physical changes can make one struggle with body image issues, increasing anxiety, lowering sexual confidence and in some cases, leading to complete avoidance of the act.
To cope with it all, it’s essential to practice self-compassion and give yourself the kindness and respect that you deserve during this sensitive period in your life. Moreover, consult your physician if you’re dealing with anxiety and engage in physical activity to maintain body weight at a healthy level.
Menopause will throw one too many curveballs your way but none of these symptoms are unmanageable.
With the right kind of medical support, self-care, lifestyle changes and open communication with your partner, you can make intimacy a fulfilling part of your life. By managing mood swings, optimizing your sleep environment, using products like estradiol vaginal creams and taking therapy, you can experience closeness and connection with your partner in this stage of life as well.