When you find out you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a lot of questionable symptoms suddenly make sense. Since it’s a hormonal disorder that impacts the whole body, PCOS often explains the cause of many of your chronic issues! There are obvious PCOS symptoms including irregular periods, weight gain, infertility, facial and body hair growth, and acne. However, your diagnosis may have you wondering if other problems you’ve been having could be linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), too.
As I mentioned . . . because PCOS leads to hormonal imbalance, inflammation, and insulin resistance, it can cause side effects all over the body. One of the more unusual (but not uncommon) symptoms of PCOS a Cyster like you may encounter is vaginal dryness!
Today, I’m going to explain what vaginal dryness is, how PCOS causes it, and what you can do about it. Here’s what you need to know:
Does PCOS Cause Vaginal Dryness?
Often women with PCOS have imbalanced sex hormones, which is why so many of the well-known symptoms have to do with menstruation and fertility. Because of this, PCOS can also cause problems with sexual health like low libido, pain during sex, difficulty reaching orgasm, and vaginal dryness. We’re talking vaginal dryness today! And, for more on PCOS and your sex life, listen to this episode of A Cyster and Her Mister podcast.
What is Vaginal Dryness?
Vaginal dryness is when the tissues in the vagina become thin, dry, and less elastic because of low estrogen levels. This can affect your sex life because it can make sexual intercourse painful and lower your sexual desire. Still, it can also cause general discomfort, itching, and burning when urinating, exercising, or even just sitting. It’s nothing any woman should have to deal with and it definitely shouldn’t be ignored!
What Does Vaginal Dryness Feel Like?
If you’re not positive if you’re experiencing vaginal dryness, look at these common sensations to see if any of them sound familiar:
- Your vagina feels dry and there’s a lack of natural lubrication.
- You have a persistent or recurring itching sensation in and around the vagina.
- Your vagina burns, especially when peeing.
- Your vagina feels tight.
- Throughout the day you feel pain and discomfort in and around the vagina, especially when sitting, exercising, or during sexual activity.
Can PCOS Cause Vaginal Dryness?
Yes! It’s not at all uncommon for Cysters to experience vaginal dryness. Estrogen is responsible for maintaining the health and elasticity of vaginal tissues by promoting blood flow and the production of natural lubricants. However, often with PCOS, these female hormones are low.
Beyond low estrogen, high androgens (male sex hormones) also contribute to vaginal dryness! These high male hormone levels counteract the effects of estrogen, further reducing the production of estrogen and natural vaginal lubricants necessary for a healthy vagina.
How To Treat Vaginal Dryness When You Have PCOS
Cut out estrogen disruptors.
Estrogen disruptors, AKA endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCS) are substances that we consume or come into contact with that can actually mimic estrogen and block its normal functioning in our bodies. So, the estrogen we do have can’t do its job to maintain our sexual and reproductive health.
The solution? Try to avoid estrogen disruptors! They’re often found in things like plastic bottles, plastic wraps, cosmetics, beauty products, household cleaners, pesticides, flame retardants, and nonstick cookware. To cut them out, opt for glass, stainless steel, and ceramic materials over plastic. And for cleaning supplies, look for natural cleaners without synthetic fragrances. When buying food, look for organic, fresh food without plastic packaging. Try to make small changes every day and you’ll likely see a difference in your symptoms long-term!
For more on this, listen to the episode of A Cyster and Her Mister called How to Remove PCOS Endocrine Disruptors.
Take helpful supplements.
It’s also a good idea to take supplements (once you’ve discussed them with your doctor) that can help raise estrogen, lower testosterone, and promote overall hormone balance. Here are some of the best supplements to do just that:
This might sound like a tall order, but don’t stress by heading straight to the vitamin aisle at the pharmacy! My Ovafit supplement line makes it easy to get everything you need to target PCOS symptoms like vaginal dryness. You can also simply sign up for regular deliveries of Ovasitol powder and Metabolism Plus bundle to get all of these beneficial nutrients and more to support hormone balance and PCOS management!
Reduce stress levels.
When we’re stressed, it’s not just a mental experience, it’s actually a physiological one! As you experience stress, your body goes into emergency mode and your cortisol levels rise. Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone for this reason. Our body raises these cortisol levels to protect us from the perceived “emergency/survival” situation we’re facing . . . even if we’re just stressing about a job interview or what to cook for dinner.
As cortisol levels rise, it throws several other hormones off balance. Stress interferes with the production and metabolism of estrogen, lowering your estrogen levels and reducing its functioning. Additionally, stress can hinder the communication between your brain and your endocrine system, causing your androgen levels to rise. So, basically, stress can make all things with PCOS feel worse.
Focus on lowering stress hormones by doing low-impact exercises, getting out in nature, meditating, practicing self-care, and reducing your mental load. Your mind and body will thank you!
Drink herbal tea and prioritize certain herbs.
Herbs have been used for thousands of years to help with a variety of hormonal struggles. But, this is more than ancient medicine. Research also backs up the health benefits of some herbs for many symptoms of women’s health! A good place to start is with my Testosterone Relief Tea, which is an herbal tea blend that combines the health benefits of many herbs to lower testosterone levels!
Other herbs that can help balance estrogen and testosterone include:
- Saw palmetto
- Chinese peony
- Black cohosh
- Licorice root
- CInnamon
- Chaste tree
Try an anti-inflammatory, gluten- and dairy-free diet.
Diet has a huge impact on your hormone levels, so to combat vaginal dryness and other symptoms of low estrogen and high androgens, start making changes in the kitchen. Opting for an anti-inflammatory, gluten- and dairy-free diet can help reduce inflammation and insulin resistance that worsens hormonal imbalances while supporting overall adrenal health. Trying it for 30 days is a great way to see if works well for your body!
You can find PCOS-friendly recipes and meal plans on The Cysterhood app . . . and, I promise, you don’t have to give up your favorite foods!
Do slow-weighted, low-impact exercises.
As I already mentioned, exercise is great for stress relief, but it’s actually great for overall hormone health, too! It can directly improve insulin sensitivity and high androgen levels, which is great for sexual and reproductive health including vaginal dryness. Plus, it can have indirect effects on estrogen by supporting overall hormone health and stress reduction.
It is important to do the right type of workouts when you have PCOS. I recommend low-impact, slow-weighted workouts to achieve your goals because they help to target the root causes of our hormonal imbalances. You can find tons of PCOS workout videos to follow on the app!
Get better sleep.
When we sleep, our body does all sorts of things to maintain our health. This is why we feel like crap if we don’t sleep well, right? One of the primary processes our body does while we sleep is to manage the production and metabolism of hormones. So, when we don’t sleep well, we’re more likely to have even more imbalanced hormones, specifically high androgens, high cortisol, and low estrogen.
I know getting a good night’s sleep can be hard with PCOS, but work on improving your sleep hygiene to get a more restful 8 hours. You’ll likely see big changes in your hormone health and sex life!
Seek the help of a medical professional.
If you aren’t seeing improvements in your vaginal dryness or other PCOS symptoms after about 30 days of making these small lifestyle changes, don’t hesitate to bring that up with your doctor to discuss treatment options.
PCOS can cause vaginal dryness, but a few lifestyle changes can reverse this symptom and others, too!
Living with PCOS can be difficult. The list of chronic symptoms is LONG and often doctors don’t give us many hopeful options. Though there is no cure for PCOS medically, there is plenty you can do to naturally heal your body and reverse your symptoms.
You can find out all about how to start thriving with PCOS on the PCOS Weight Loss blog. If you need a good place to start, read this post on How to Lower Testosterone! Let’s take back your life and health, Cyster!
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