VAGINAL DRYNESS DEFINITION

Chronic vaginal dryness, which results from less-than-normal lubrication in your vagina, is usually caused by changes in your oestrogen level. Your production of oestrogen may drop while you're breastfeeding, for example; some women experience vaginal dryness all the time they're lactating, but the problem disappears once breastfeeding stops. And just before menopause, your oestrogen level begins to decline, which can lead to vaginal dryness as well.

Chronic vaginal dryness is different from the occasional dryness you may feel if you aren't relaxed during sex or have intercourse before you've had enough time to become aroused. In such a case, you may not produce the lubrication that normally accompanies sexual arousal, and intercourse may feel uncomfortable.

Other conditions can cause episodes of vaginal dryness as well. Spermicides rarely create a problem, but using them several times in the same day may make your vagina feel a bit dry; using diaphragms may also lead to dryness because they can block the downward flow of the vaginal secretions from the cervix and upper vagina. Douching can result in vaginal dryness, and yeast and other common infections may irritate your vagina and cause a feeling of dryness, even though the vagina is actually well lubricated. Women who have had their ovaries surgically removed or have undergone pelvic irradiation for cancer may also experience vaginal dryness, which usually goes away on its own.