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Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy

Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is a silent epidemic that affects up to 50%–60% of postmenopausal women who are suffering in silence from this condition. Hormonal changes, especially hypoestrogenism inherent in menopause, are characterized by a variety of symptoms. More than half of menopausal women are...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Naumova, Iuliia, Castelo-Branco, Camil
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Dove Medical Press 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6074805/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30104904
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S158913
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author Naumova, Iuliia
Castelo-Branco, Camil
author_facet Naumova, Iuliia
Castelo-Branco, Camil
author_sort Naumova, Iuliia
collection PubMed
description Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is a silent epidemic that affects up to 50%–60% of postmenopausal women who are suffering in silence from this condition. Hormonal changes, especially hypoestrogenism inherent in menopause, are characterized by a variety of symptoms. More than half of menopausal women are concerned about the symptoms of VVA, such as dryness, burning, itching, vaginal discomfort, pain and burning when urinating, dyspareunia, and spotting during intercourse. All these manifestations significantly reduce the quality of life and cause discomfort in the sexual sphere. However, according to research, only 25% of patients with the symptoms of VVA receive adequate therapy. This is probably due to the lack of coverage of this problem in the society and the insufficiently active position of specialists in the field of women’s health regarding the detection of symptoms of VVA. Many patients are embarrassed to discuss intimate complaints with a specialist, which makes it difficult to verify the diagnosis in 75% of cases, and some patients regard the symptoms of VVA as manifestations of the natural aging process and do not seek help. Modern medicine has in the arsenal various options for treating this pathological condition, including systemic and topical hormone replacement therapy, the use of selective estrogen receptor modulators, vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone, use of lubricants and moisturizers, as well as non-drug therapies. Timely diagnosis and adequately selected therapy for the main symptoms of VVA lead to restoration and maintenance of the vaginal function and vaginal health.
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spelling pubmed-60748052018-08-13 Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy Naumova, Iuliia Castelo-Branco, Camil Int J Womens Health Review Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is a silent epidemic that affects up to 50%–60% of postmenopausal women who are suffering in silence from this condition. Hormonal changes, especially hypoestrogenism inherent in menopause, are characterized by a variety of symptoms. More than half of menopausal women are concerned about the symptoms of VVA, such as dryness, burning, itching, vaginal discomfort, pain and burning when urinating, dyspareunia, and spotting during intercourse. All these manifestations significantly reduce the quality of life and cause discomfort in the sexual sphere. However, according to research, only 25% of patients with the symptoms of VVA receive adequate therapy. This is probably due to the lack of coverage of this problem in the society and the insufficiently active position of specialists in the field of women’s health regarding the detection of symptoms of VVA. Many patients are embarrassed to discuss intimate complaints with a specialist, which makes it difficult to verify the diagnosis in 75% of cases, and some patients regard the symptoms of VVA as manifestations of the natural aging process and do not seek help. Modern medicine has in the arsenal various options for treating this pathological condition, including systemic and topical hormone replacement therapy, the use of selective estrogen receptor modulators, vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone, use of lubricants and moisturizers, as well as non-drug therapies. Timely diagnosis and adequately selected therapy for the main symptoms of VVA lead to restoration and maintenance of the vaginal function and vaginal health. Dove Medical Press 2018-07-31 /pmc/articles/PMC6074805/ /pubmed/30104904 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S158913 Text en © 2018 Naumova and Castelo-Branco. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed.
spellingShingle Review
Naumova, Iuliia
Castelo-Branco, Camil
Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title_full Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title_fullStr Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title_full_unstemmed Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title_short Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
title_sort current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6074805/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30104904
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S158913
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