LAUGH AND LUBE YOUR WAY THROUGH MENOPAUSE

On the surface, menopause is a serious subject but sometimes a humorous outlook can help a woman get through this annoying and even painful phase of womanhood.

Menopause affects each individual differently, so it may be misleading to generalize about its burdensome, sometimes embarrassing side effects. Some women have mild symptoms. Others feel like they are going through Hell, wondering how to tackle the agonizing hot flashes, mood swings, depression and night sweats, and one of the worst complaints—vaginal dryness. With symptoms like this, many women feel that they’ve lost that “spark” forever.

Laughter is still the best medicine
Writer and humorist Ronna Benjamin suggests “re-framing” menopause to offer a more positive perspective. In her article, What’s Good About Menopause, she replaces “have to” which implies force, with “get to” which makes it seem like more of a bonus.

“We GET to be filled with anxiety, because we can eat dark chocolate and red wine to calm ourselves down,” Benjamin writes. “We GET to have crushing fatigue, because we now have an excuse to say ‘no’ to things we really don’t want to do.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronna-benjamin/whats-good-about-menopause_b_3990906.html

Time to talk frankly
Women are more open today about discussing the subject of vaginal dryness. It’s one of the most frequent menopausal symptoms and complaints and often, very painful. After menopause, more than half of women suffer from some degree of vaginal atrophy and dryness, often accompanied by tenderness, itching, burning during urination, urinary incontinence and painful intercourse. This condition can also trigger yeast and bacterial infections, cracks in the vaginal walls, and vaginitis or inflammation of the vagina. All of these can lead to painful intercourse. This extreme discomfort often means sex goes on the back burner, and that can lead to emotional and intimacy problems. (http://bottomlinehealth.com/natural-topical-remedies-for-vaginal-dryness/)

First line of defense: go topical
If vaginal dryness is the primary issue, the good news is that women will have instant relief by using a natural way to moisten the vagina. It’s safe and a lot more fun.

Laurie Steelsmith, ND, LAc, co-author of Great Sex, Naturally, recommends Aloe Cadabra®, for mild to moderate dryness. It’s a lubricant and moisturizer in one product; soothes the affected area; expedites healing of vaginal tissue; and it’s made with 95 percent organic aloe and five percent pure food-grade ingredients. You can learn more about its many benefits at www.aloecadabra.com.

Steelsmith also suggests Vitamin E suppositories or Black Cohosh/wild yam suppositories. However, she warns to use these with physician supervision since the ingredients may be contra-indicated for women with a history of breast or uterine cancer, seizures, liver disorders, blood clots or stroke. Dr. Steelsmith also points out that some over-the-counter lubricants are petroleum or oil-based which can cause latex condoms or diaphragms to weaken and fail. Some contain hormones or promote yeast infections or they contain a topical anesthetic, which defeats the purpose of pleasurable sex.
(http://bottomlinehealth.com/natural-topical-remedies-for-vaginal-dryness/)

And then, there is reality
An estimated 6,000 US women reach menopause every day—over two million per year. All women will get there eventually—some earlier than others. Laughter can help women get through menopause but serious symptoms such as vaginal dryness may persist and nothing is guaranteed to put sizzle in the bedroom.

Take a tip from Albert Einstein who offered his definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. If you keep using the same thing for vaginal dryness and it’s not working, try Aloe Cadabra. A good laugh and a safe, effective lube might just bring back that spark!

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