Mark Sircus
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 One of the major sexual impacts of decreased estrogen is a shrinking of the vagina and thinning of the vaginal walls, along with a loss of elasticity and decreased vaginal lubrication during sexual arousal. Some women experience only slight changes in sexual functioning, while others have dryness and pain with intercourse, or genital soreness for a few days after sexual activity, if they don't use a vaginal lubricant or take some form of hormone replacement. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 The release of adrenaline also channels blood away from your vagina. With less blood circulating through the vagina, there's less blood fluid (plasma) to contribute to vaginal lubrication. That's why managing stress is so important to treating vaginal dryness.
If you douche regularly, stop. I've already cautioned against douching as routine feminine hygiene. I'd especially discourage it if you have a problem with vaginal dryness. The repeated application of douche water eventually dries vaginal tissues by rinsing away beneficial lubrication.
If you smoke, quit. |
Bottom Line Health
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| The uterus is removed through an incision inside the vagina. This procedure includes removal of both the cervix and the uterus. It can only be performed on fibroids that are small enough to pass through the vagina. Vaginal hysterectomy can also be performed with laparoscopic assistance.
Reducing Fibroid Risk
Fibroids—benign tumors of the uterus—are dependent on the hormone estrogen for growth. To minimize risk...
•Keep your body-fat percentage down through good diet and exercise. The more body fat you have, the higher your estrogen levels are likely to be. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 In females, as with males, high blood glucose is often to blame, as well as damage to the nerves and the small capillaries that feed the vagina. According to one Swedish study, women with diabetes reported difficulties feeling desire, experiencing arousal, and achieving orgasm, and also reported pain during intercourse. One common complaint is decreased vaginal lubrication, which can lead to sexual discomfort. In addition, female diabetics also have frequent bouts of vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina) and yeast infections, both of which can affect their ability to have sex. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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 It's usually caused by bacteria, which enter the vagina during sexual intercourse, while douching, during childbirth or abortions, or through certain medical procedures.
The bacteria that cause PID are often the same as those that cause gonorrhea and chlamydia. They move up the vagina to the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes, and sometimes into the ovaries. The symptoms of PID may include fever, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, nausea, and vomiting. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 The delicate tissue of the vagina is quite efficient at absorbing estrogen and passing it into the blood-stream.
• • •
O. / have been reluctant to take estrogen because I worry about possible side effects, in particular breast cancer. The worst thing about menopause has been the lack of vaginal lubrication, which makes sex very uncomfortable.
My doctor prescribed a vaginal estrogen cream for this problem. He has assured me that it is locally acting with negligible absorption.
It certainly has helped the vaginal dryness, but my hot flashes have also dropped off considerably. |
| Is this cream getting from the vagina to the rest of my body to control the hot flashes? And if so, what about the risk of breast cancer?
A. Estrogen is easily absorbed from the vaginal lining. In fact, one study of Pre-marin and Estrace creams published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (December 14,1979) found that "estrogen vaginal cream preparations, as widely used in clinical practice for their local effects on the vaginal mucosa, actually result in sustained high estrogen levels in the systemic circulation. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Garlic: Insert a garlic clove into the vagina in the morning and an acidophilus capsule in the evening for three to seven days.
Combo douche: Prepare a retention douche (in which the preparation of substances stays in the vagina and is not flushed out) with equal parts bentonite clay, pau d'arco tea, yogurt, tea tree oil, and goldenseal, and douche two times a day for seven to ten days.
Tea tree oil: Soak a tampon with diluted tea tree oil and keep it in the vagina overnight. |
Tom Bohager
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 Each serving should contain approximately:
Serratiopeptidase
80,000 SU
Protease blend
70,000 HUT
Mineral blend
50 mg
Supporting enzymes:
Bromelain
Papain
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria that are considered to be harmful to the natural state of the vagina. The most common symptoms are discharge, a strong fishy odor, pain, itching, and burning. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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| They move up the vagina to the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes, and sometimes into the ovaries. The symptoms of PID may include fever, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, nausea, and vomiting. If the infection breaks out of the reproductive system and spreads into the abdominal cavity, it can cause a severe infection called peritonitis.
Doctors typically attack pelvic inflammatory disease with two antibiotics at once. The idea is to make sure that at least one (but preferably both) will kill the offending bacteria and knock the infection out ASAP. |
Dr. Arthur Janov
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 In the trauma it began in the vagina and it remained there, coded and stored. That constricted, painful vagina was shouting out a crisis, a trauma that lay buried in the unconscious. She was told in a previous therapy, and she believed, that she was possibly a lesbian because she obviously didn't like men. Actually, she was unconsciously and physiologically protecting herself against a memory! And with the brain, that had little to do with the left prefrontal area; ideas were never going to affect that memory. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| Combo douche: Prepare a retention douche (in which the preparation of substances stays in the vagina and is not flushed out) with equal parts bentonite clay, pau d'arco tea, yogurt, tea tree oil, and goldenseal, and douche two times a day for seven to ten days.
Tea tree oil: Soak a tampon with diluted tea tree oil and keep it in the vagina overnight.
Caprylic Acid
Caprylic acid is one of the fatty acids found in coconut oil and is also available as a separate supplement. Nutritionists and natural health practitioners have relied on it for years as a dependable yeast slayer. |
| Garlic: 600-900 mg per day, in divided doses
ž FOR ADDED EFFECTIVENESS:
Boric acid suppositories: Insert into vagina. Never drink boric acid.
ALSO RECOMMENDED:
Pau d'arco tea: Steep for five minutes and drink three times a day. A natural antifungal agent.
Note: All the dosages above are daily and in pill or capsule form unless otherwise noted. a species of friendly bacteria that is an integral part of normal vaginal flora; consider it a guard dog for Candida overgrowth.
Probiotics offer a baker's dozen of health benefits. |
Bottom Line Health
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| It can only be performed on fibroids that are small enough to pass through the vagina. Vaginal hysterectomy can also be performed with laparoscopic assistance.
Reducing Fibroid Risk
Fibroids—benign tumors of the uterus—are dependent on the hormone estrogen for growth. To minimize risk...
•Keep your body-fat percentage down through good diet and exercise. The more body fat you have, the higher your estrogen levels are likely to be.
•Eat a high-fiber diet that includes lots of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower. |
Tom Bohager
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| Each serving should contain approximately:
Serratiopeptidase
80,000 SU
Protease blend
70,000 HUT
Mineral blend
50 mg
Supporting enzymes:
Bromelain
Papain
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria that are considered to be harmful to the natural state of the vagina. The most common symptoms are discharge, a strong fishy odor, pain, itching, and burning. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 The story is this: a male nurse felt uncomfortable assisting in a Marshall-Marchetti procedure, an operation which requires a nurse to place fingers into the female patient's vagina in order to support the bladder as it is being stitched by the surgeon. This particular urologist dismissed the male nurse for an early lunch and concluded the procedure. When the nurse returned, he was told that the operation was just beginning, requiring him to penetrate the patient's vagina with his finger for ten minutes, after which he was informed about the "joke. |
Andreas Moritz
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 It consists of a vaginal probe that is covered by a condom and inserted directly into the woman's vagina. With the new technology, doctors will get an even better picture of the fetus but the baby will also get a much higher dose of ultrasound.
Even though an increasing number of health professionals are very concerned about the wholesale use of scans, pregnant women are not informed about the possible harmful consequences that accompany their use. Scans are prescribed routinely but you have the right to refuse one. |
| This routine operation is supposed to prevent tearing of the vagina. Yet if the mother were not induced and/or made numb by drugs and were properly prepared for the delivery, she would know perfectly well how and when and when not to push to release the child from the birth canal at the right time. The pain would tell her exactly what to do during the birth process. This would naturally prevent tearing of the vagina. Even if it did tear, the injury would heal much faster than a cut inflicted by a surgical knife. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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| It is placed in the vagina, usually so that it is comfortable or almost unnoticeable.
Side effects: Stomachache, nausea, vaginal discharge, headache, insomnia Downside: Must pay for 3 months' treatment up front
Cost: $100 to $150 for a 3-month ring have or have had breast cancer. Because the dose at any given time is lower than if a woman were taking estrogen orally, it might be used even by women who are nervous about using estrogen.
Conclusions
Although menopause is a natural process, hot flashes and night sweats can be bothersome. Vaginal dryness also may be uncomfortable. |
| This silicone ring is inserted into the vagina, where it releases estradiol at a low but steady rate for 3 months. Like other forms of estrogen, it's not appropriate for women who
"^'tr'tc Estring
Estring is a vaginal silicone ring that contains estradiol that is released at a steady, low rate over 3 months, which minimizes fussing. It is placed in the vagina, usually so that it is comfortable or almost unnoticeable. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 This is the first report of fluoxetine-induced loss of sensation of vagina and nipples. Fluoxetine-induced anaesthesia of penis (Neill, 1991; Measom, 1992) and vagina (King & Horowitz, 1993), which did not improve with dosage reduction or addition of cyproheptadine, but did with discontinuation of fluoxetine, have been reported. Ellison & DeLuca (1998) reported a case of genital anaesthesia caused by fluoxetine that did not improve with addition of cyproheptadine or yohimbine but responded to Ginkgo biloba. |
| Fluoxetine-induced anaesthesia of vagina and nipples. A. Michael and C. Mayer - Department of Psychiatry, West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds IP33 2QZ. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2000) 176: 299
Antidepressant drugs cause a variety of sexual side-effects. However, antidepres-sant-induced changes in sexual sensations are rare. We report a case of fluoxetine-induced loss of sensation of vagina and nipples.
A 48-year-old married woman with recurrent depression had good antidepressant response to fluoxetine 20 mg. |
| However, she developed a complete loss of sexual sensation of her nipples and vagina. Touch and pain sensations were also impaired, but only to a lesser extent. This lead to decreased satisfaction with sexual life and consequently poor compliance with the medication. Even when she became briefly hypomanic on fluoxetine, the lack of sensation persisted. We substituted her fluoxetine with trazodone 400 mg. She remained euthymic. By the fifth week her vaginal and nipple sensations returned to normal. The frequency of sexual inter-course and satisfaction improved to premorbid levels. |
Marshall Editions
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 Physical symptoms, such as a dry, uncomfortable feeling in the vagina, or premature ejaculation, may also have a negative effect on libido.
HERBALISM
Damiana: The leaves of damiana, also called Mexican damiana, old woman's broom, or rosemary, have traditionally been used as a male \ 1 I / reproductive tonic, probably acting on the sex hormones to improve ^ Y sexual desire and function. However, it may cause liver toxicity and seizures in some people. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 It is known to help restore healthy menses and to soothe irritation and congestion of the cervix, uterus, and vagina. It also improves circulation in general and lowers blood pressure by temporarily dilating blood vessels. |
| SUPPOSITORIES
A suppository is used to draw toxins from or soothe irritation in the vagina or rectum. To make herbal suppositories, mix together well-powdered herbs with enough softened cocoa butter to make a thick paste. Form the mixture into suppository-size shapes and refrigerate. (Molds for suppositories are sometimes available from pharmaceutical supply houses.) When the suppositories have set, insert one at night, before bedtime, in the appropriate orifice. Keep in until morning. Wear a cloth pad in your underwear to avoid staining your clothing. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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| In addition, female diabetics also have frequent bouts of vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina) and yeast infections, both of which can affect their ability to have sex.
You'll learn more about diabetes and the "chronic big killers" in chapter 14, but it's especially important for people at risk—those who are overweight or obese and who have a family history of diabetes—to quit or cut back on quickie carbs and exercise regularly.
Sex Problems Plague Many with Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemics also cope with an increase in sexual dysfunction. |
| Normally, Candida is present everywhere on the skin, in your mucous membranes, in the vagina and the bowel, and it lives in the body in harmony with hundreds of other beneficial bacteria. "It's when there's an imbalance— that can be caused by such disruptors as a chronic sugar diet, stress, and antibiotics—that Candida can become opportunistic," explains reproductive endocrinologist and gynecologist Dr. Metzger. "But sugar is the number one contributor to Candida. Because the sugar feeds the yeast, Candida starts to grow where the good bacteria can no longer keep it under control. |
| By the time it overruns the vagina, it's likely also lurking in other mucous membranes throughout the body, as well as in the gastrointestinal tract, causing a variety of symptoms including fatigue, rashes, bloating, and "mind fog," according to Jacob Teit-elbaum, M.D., medical director of the Annapolis Research Center for Effective Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Therapies and author of From Fatigued to Fantastic!
Now reverse the recipe. |
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