How to enjoy sex after
menopause?
Female Sexual Dysfunction after
menopause is extremely common. Almost
half of all American women struggle with
it. Viagra has come to the rescue of many
aging men, but what about women? So far
women been left out in the
cold.
However, there are some new herbal
formulations that hold out the promise of
improved sexual stimulation and
response for females. Many women have
reported significant improvements in
sexual pleasure, both before and after
menopause, with the use of these
products. You could consider trying one
of these
female sex stimulants to help improve
your sex life.
The truth is that as women age and
reach menopause, many women lose interest
in sex. Their bodies simply stop
producing the same levels of sex hormones
as they did when they were younger. As
sex hormone levels decline, so does
desire. To make matters worse, many women
develop vaginal dryness, which can make
sex painful.
At the same time, some men are losing
their drive and ability to perform, so
their female partners may not even notice
the drop in their own libido. But now
that we know better -- and men are
finding help -- women should make an
effort to get a piece of the action!
I've listed below four suggestions for
increasing your sex drive, enhancing
arousal, and combating sexual problems
after menopause. Give them a try and see
if you notice a change for the
better.
- Hormones: Why worry about
hormones? Because scientists have begun
to realize that menopause devastates us
hormonally. Women produce less and less
testosterone, the "male" sex hormone,
as they age. By the age of 40, they
have half as much testosterone as they
did when they were 20. Research has
shown that a low testosterone level
means lack of sexual desire. As if that
weren't enough, estrogen levels also
decline by 80-90% during menopause. Low
estrogen levels cause vaginal dryness,
which leads to painful intercourse, and
diminished blood flow to the vagina,
which interferes with arousal and
pleasure during sex.
This may be devastating to some women.
Many doctors recommend hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) as a
solution.
Taking estrogen can help rid you of all
symptoms of menopause including
moodiness, vaginal dryness, and hot
flashes. In addition, it may reduce the
risk of cardiovascular disease,
osteoporosis, and some cancers.
Testosterone therapy has been shown to
enhance desire, induce feelings of well
being, and combat menopausal
symptoms.
However, testosterone may produce
unwanted side effects such as acne,
increased risk of heart disease and
breast cancer. HRT is a serious
treatment with many important factors
figuring in. It should be carefully
considered with your doctor.
-
Supplements: For many women,
the real problem is not lack of
sexual interest but a generally low
energy level. They work, manage the
household, take care of the kids,
husbands and parents, and at the end
of the day simply don't have the
energy to engage in sexual activity.
To give yourself an added boost, try
taking a nutritional supplement with
ginseng or ginkgo. Both herbs have
been taken for hundreds of years as
natural energy enhancers.
|
|
Supplements can also provide
our bodies with the raw
materials they need to
perform better,
naturally.
For example Arginine, an
amino acid that is found in
nuts, meat, and dairy,
enhances blood flow. Taking a
supplement with Arginine,
ginseng, and ginkgo biloba
can improve arousal by
increasing the flow of blood
to the clitoris-vagina area
during sexual activity,
together with boosting energy
levels.
Provestra is a herbal
supplement that has proven to
be specifically useful for
enhancing sex drive, libido
and sexual response in women
after menopause. You should
consider trying this out for
yourself.
|
- Diet: I have a friend who
had a terrible time with menopause. She
experienced huge emotional swings,
gained weight, and suffered
debilitating hot flashes. After
consulting an alternative medicine
doctor who advised her to eat lots of
soy, she completely changed her diet.
She became a vegetarian, replaced meat
with tofu and milk with soymilk, and
added more fresh vegetables to her
meals. Within a few months she had lost
weight, all her symptoms had
disappeared, and her sex drive had
improved tremendously.
Studies show that one valuable resource
for women is soy. Soybeans contain
phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens,
that may help replace the estrogen that
your body is naturally producing less
of over time. Japanese women, who eat a
diet heavy in soy, have far lower
levels of breast cancer and less
trouble with menopausal symptoms. A
suggestion is to inject more soy into
your diet and see what it does for
you.
In general, remember that you should
eat a diet that is low in fat and high
in fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Physical problems: Vaginal
dryness, a common problem after
menopause, can be easily treated with
lubricants available at most
drugstores and supermarkets. You'll
need to apply the lubricant every time
you have sex. If you use condoms, avoid
Vaseline or other oil-based lubricants
as they destroy the condom material.
While there is a vast variety
available, we specifically recommend
these special sex enhancement
lubricants:
Water-based sexual
lubricants
Silicone-based sexual
lubricants
If you find that your vaginal
walls have relaxed over time, as do
many older women, there is hope. A
simple exercise, known as the Kegel
exercise, can improve your muscle tone
and help you to enjoy sex more. Simply
squeeze the muscles around your vagina
as if you were trying to stop yourself
from urinating midstream. Contract
these muscles for one minute, then
release. Repeat at least 10 times, and
increase the number of repetitions over
time.
You can do these exercises any time
– while you're working at a desk,
while driving, or even when you're
watching TV.
|