CBD oil is currently the rock star of complementary medicine. If we’re to believe the internet, CBD oil can cure anything from vaginal dryness to cancer.
See all CBD oil benefits here.
What sparked our interest recently, though, were vaginal suppositories containing the oil.
According to the manufacturers, these capsules soothe the walls of the vagina and alleviate the symptoms of vaginal dryness. That caught our attention. Is it really possible for CBD oil to clear up problems down there?
In this post, we’ll cut through the hype and look into CBD oil and vaginal dryness. Is it an effective treatment? Can it make a difference to women with the condition? Is there scientific evidence to back up these claims?
Let’s dive right in and find out.
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Symptoms of Vaginal Dryness
The symptoms vary from person to person. The most commonly experienced symptoms are:
- A burning sensation down there
- Pain experienced during sex
- Bleeding after sex
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
- Stinging, soreness, or itching
- Reduced libido
Women with the condition may feel embarrassed. According to Harvard Health, as many as 90% of sufferers never seek help.
What Causes Vaginal Dryness?
Vaginal dryness is a condition that can affect women of all ages. It’s most commonly experienced by women who’ve gone through menopause, though. Around about half of us will experience this condition after menopause.
A drop in estrogen most commonly causes the condition. In these cases, it most often starts during perimenopause. Other causes include:
- Smoking cigarettes
- Breastfeeding
- Depression
- Childbirth
- Excessive stress
- Rigorous exercise
- Immune disorders
- Cancer treatments
- Hormone treatments
- Removal of the uterus or ovaries
- Lack of sexual arousal
- Certain medications
Douching and using creams down there may also exacerbate the condition.
Ways to Treat Vaginal Dryness
There are plenty of treatment options for someone with this condition. Let’s go through the more common ones.
Estrogen Cream
Applying estrogen cream to the area might help. These creams are generally considered safe. We’d suggest proceeding with caution, though. The creams will affect your hormone balance. If your condition is not as a result of hormone imbalance, you could throw your system out of whack.
It’s also not advisable for pregnant women, or women at risk of breast cancer to use these creams without medical supervision.
Lubricants
Water-based lubricants are an excellent way to help overcome dryness. Just keep in mind that oil-based products can cause latex in condoms to break down.
Home Remedies
The home remedies, in this instance, consist more of lifestyle changes than anything else. Here are the lifestyle changes that you should start making today.
Have Sex Regularly
Regular sex is a great way to up the lubrication. You may, initially, have to use a lubricant as well, but the body should soon adjust and increase its own lubrication. Naturally, if you still find sex painful, you should stop.
Spend Time on Foreplay
One possible cause of lack of lubrication is a lack of arousal. Spending more time on the foreplay could alleviate this problem altogether. If your partners not up to it, why not bring in some sex toys to help things along?
Ditch the Feminine Hygiene Products
Your vagina is a self-cleaning system. When it’s left to do its own thing, it’s highly effective. Using feminine hygiene products to clean down there can disturb the flora and pH balance. These products leave you more prone to dryness and infections.
Choose the Right Underwear
That sexy little nylon G-string might turn your partner on, but it’s not doing you any favors. Synthetic materials don’t allow the area to breathe. This locks in moisture and, in turn, creates the perfect storm for bacterial growth.
Wear 100% cotton underwear as far as possible. It’s not as sexy, but what’s the point of looking sexy if you don’t want to be touched?
CBD Oil and Vaginal Dryness
Ancient records reveal that hemp and cannabis were used to treat gynecological issues in the 7th century BCE. Back then, hemp seeds were crushed and mixed into beer for the patient to ingest.
In the 1800s, cannabis was widely used for the treatment of “women’s issues.”
Is this a treatment that we should revive?
There are several reasons that CBD oil might work to treat vaginal dryness:
- The oil helps to balance the endocannabinoid system of the body. The endocannabinoid system, in turn, regulates the endocrine system. If a hormone imbalance causes your condition, CBD oil might help.
- The oil has a calmative effect. This calmative effect could help you feel less anxious. It might also help the muscles relax. If your condition is caused by stress or anxiety, the oil may help.
- CBD is a vasodilator. Applying it topically causes increased blood flow in the area. That might help to ease symptoms of dryness.
- The pain-relieving properties of the oil could also come in useful here. Applied topically, the oil is effective at pain relief. This analgesic effect could help to ease pain during sex.
- The anti-fungal properties of the oil could help to fight conditions such as thrush. Fighting thrush, in turn, could help your vagina recover its normal function.
- The inflammation-fighting properties of CBD could soothe irritation in the vaginal wall.
Cannabinoids and the Endocrine System
This study specifically looked at the interaction between the body’s endocannabinoid system and the endocrine system. The study concluded that the endocannabinoid system plays a vital role in regulating the endocrine system.
The endocrine system, in turn, is responsible for regulating the hormones in the body. If you have low estrogen levels as a result of a hormone imbalance, CBD oil might help.
To use it for this purpose, it’s best to take it orally.
The Calmative Effect
If you’ve already experienced pain during sex due to this condition, you’re bound to be anxious about your next sexual encounter. This study shows that CBD oil is a highly effective anxiolytic agent.
If your problem is caused by excessive stress or anxiety, then CBD oil could well prove useful.
To use it for this purpose, it’s best to take it orally.
How a Vasodilator Might Help
This study shows that CBD is an effective vasodilator. Using the oil topically should promote blood flow to the area. In theory, this might improve lubrication.
We’re going to leave this one as undecided. We don’t believe that the vasodilatory effect will have that much of an influence. In fact, the flow of blood to the area increases the sensations in the area. This effect, in turn, could result in you feeling the pain more acutely.
The Pain-Relieving Effect
This study shows that cannabinoids can assist with pain relief. The study concluded that the endocannabinoid system does affect pain management. If the system is in balance, then your body is better able to cope with pain.
We’ve tried using CBD oil on tense muscles after the gym. There’s an analgesic effect. The muscle relaxes, and the pain recedes.
Here again, though, we’re going to reserve judgment. Pain is your body’s way of saying that something is wrong. By dulling the pain, you’re not treating the underlying cause. This could mean that you’ll do more damage to the lining of the wall.
Anti-Fungal Properties
This study looked at the anti-fungal and anti-microbial effects of cannabis. The findings were promising. Cannabis could help eradicate thrush if applied topically. There’s little research in this area when it comes to CBD specifically, though.
We’re going to leave this one as undecided as well. If you do suffer from recurrent thrush, it might be useful to use a suppository.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
This study shows that CBD does effectively reduce inflammation. If your problem is caused by irritation, the oil may be useful in reducing the inflammation.
Again, here we have our doubts as to the efficacy of applying the oil topically. Reducing inflammation is a good thing, but is it going to make a difference to lubrication? Also, if you’re having sex afterward, the oil could damage the latex in a condom.
What’s the Verdict?
Overall, CBD oil could well assist with vaginal dryness. It can help to reduce anxiety, provide pain relief, and smooth out hormone imbalances. What we found, though, is that how the CBD is applied will make a big difference.
From our research, we’d say that the value of suppositories in this instance is questionable. Topical applications to the vaginal wall could disturb the balance of the natural flora that live there. The anti-microbial effect means that you’ll kill good bacteria as well as the bad.
We’re also concerned about whether or not the oil would disturb the natural pH balance. The effects are also short-lived. As you’re not dealing with the underlying symptoms, you’ll need to use these suppositories daily. We’d play it on the safe side here and avoid the suppositories.
The case for taking the oil orally, however, is a strong one. You can achieve most of the same useful effects by taking drops without the mess of a suppository. Overall, the drops deal with the underlying issues that are at play, and this makes them a valuable treatment option.
FAQs About CBD Oil and Vaginal Dryness
Question: How can CBD oil help in Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: CBD oil could well assist with vaginal dryness. It can help to reduce anxiety, provide pain relief, and smooth out hormone imbalances. How the CBD is applied will also make a big difference.
Question:What are the symptoms of Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: The most common symptoms of vaginal dryness are burning sensation, pain during intercourse, bleeding after sex, reduced libido, stinging or itching, and recurring UTI.
Question: What are the causes of Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: Some of the causes of vaginal dryness include smoking cigarettes, breastfeeding, depression, childbirth, and excessive stress.
Question: What are the medical ways to treat Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: Some ways to treat vaginal dryness are using estrogen cream and using lubricants.
Question: What are the home remedies to Treat Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: Having regular sex, ditching feminine hygiene products, and choosing the right underway are some of the home remedies to treat Vaginal Dryness.
Question: Are there any historical data regarding the relationship of CBD oil and Vaginal Dryness?
Answer: Ancient records reveal that hemp and cannabis were used to treat gynecological issues in the 7th century BCE. Back then, hemp seeds were crushed and mixed into beer for the patient to ingest.
