Causes of vaginal dryness

Vaginal dryness can lead to discomfort during sex, difficulty reaching orgasm, reduced sex drive, frequent urination and repeated urinary tract infections UTIs. Dryness affect about half of postmenopausal women. The change causes estrogen levels to decline, along with the levels of other steroid hormones, according to the International Society for Sexual Medicine.

These decreases makes the vaginal tissues thinner, drier, less elastic and more fragile, causing discomfort during intercourse. The use of silicone-based vaginal moisturizers and lubricants, or a local vaginal estrogen treatment may help menopausal women. The use of lubricant without glycerin can also help.

Birth control is one of the most common causes of vaginal dryness in young women, how the pill or Nuva ring works, suppressing estrogen and testosterone hormones may cause dryness. The use of an intrauterine device (IUD) may be the best option, it does not contribute to vaginal dryness,
A cold or flu can dehydrate the body and contribute to vaginal dryness.

Estrogen levels can temporarily decrease after giving birth and make vagina feel drier than usual. Breastfeeding increases prolactin, a hormone that causes breast milk production, which in turn suppresses estrogen and testosterone, which can lead to vaginal dryness.

Research shows that smoking can cause vaginal dryness because it destroys estrogen in the body. A cigarette habit also affects blood circulation, resulting in the vagina and other tissues not getting enough oxygen. Women who smoke experience menopause earlier.
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Steroid hormone and age related bone loss

A group of steroid hormones could provide new insight into the bone loss and deterioration that occurs with aging, protein histone deacetylase 3, HDAC3, turns off the genes that encourage the stem cells in our bone marrow to make and store fat instead of making bone. As HDAC3 levels decrease naturally with age, bones become less dense and easily breakable.

 Looking at a group of steroid hormones known as glucocorticoids, which our bodies naturally have in circulation as a response to different stresses to help quiet the immune response, when these hormones enter bone cells, osteoblasts that make bone bind to a receptor that activates the expression of genes related to fat storage.

To get that effect of bone loss and increased marrow fat when you lose HDAC3, glucocorticoids must be present. Releasing glucocorticoids in response to various stimuli is a natural thing that body does, circulating glucocorticoid levels increase with age.

As with a lot of chemicals in the body, too much and not enough of something can be bad. While glucocorticoids occur naturally in the body, they are also used in various immune-suppressive therapies, many of which have osteoporosis as a side effect.

Researchers studied mice without receptors for the steroid hormones. The mice were placed on a calorie-restricted diet to stimulate the aging process which also has been shown to result in lower bone density and increased marrow fat. Extreme caloric restriction, such as with anorexia nervosa, can also lead to weak and brittle bones.

When looking at the bone cells in a culture dish, the receptor deficient mice show less lipid storage than regular mouse models of aging. They also showed more bone matrix, which is the cause of bone formation. Examination of tibia and femur in a living animal showed the receptor deficient mice actually had more marrow fat and lower bone mass.
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Stress hormone may affect your health

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates a wide range of processes throughout the body. It controls the body’s blood sugar levels, regulates
metabolism, it prevents inflammation, controls salt and water balance.

Blood levels of cortisol are high in the morning and fall throughout the day.  Steady daytime levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with health problems like inflammation, obesity and cancer.

Chronic stress may hinder variability of cortisol levels, this is known as stress-related circadian dysregulation.
Inflammation and the immune system dysfunction are the major cause of the loss of variation in cortisol levels.
Fatigue, cancer, depression, and obesity are associated with less variation in cortisol.

Viral infections, vigorous exercises, caffeine and sleep deprivation can cause abnormal increase in cortisol levels. Healthy lifestyle of regular exercise, sound sleep and eating healthy diet can restore cortisol rhythms.
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