Loss of Libido Sex Drive in Women during Menopause

“At this age, it’s unusual for somebody to do a love scene, to be making love... (But) we still are alive... it’s authentic. The whole idea that you have to look a certain way and be a certain way to earn love is ridiculous.” (Actress Meryl Streep, about her on-screen sex scene at age 60, as quoted in The Times (London) (12/21/2009)).

Loss of libido can be one of the most difficult symptoms of menopause to manage, often because a woman might not understand how and why she has lost the desire to be physically intimate with her partner. It is important to recognize that loss of libido during menopause is common, affecting as many as 20 to 40 percent of women.

Learning more about loss of libido, its myriad causes, and how it can be managed, can not only bring a woman peace of mind but is the best step towards resolving this complex symptom of menopause.

About Loss of Libido

Loss of libido is a complex phenomenon with psychological, relational, physical, and hormonal dimensions as unique as the women who experience them.

The term libido has long been used to describe a persons sexual drive and their desire for sex. Loss of libido, medically termed "hypoactive sexual desire disorder," is a reduction or lack of interest and desire in sexual activity.

Loss of libido is chiefly characterized by a lack of interest or desire for sexual activity. Many women with loss of libido find that they are less in touch with their sexuality. Sexual feelings come less frequently and energy for sex drastically dwindles or disappears from a womans life.

Loss of Libido Overview

While loss of libido differs from the inability to become aroused or achieve orgasm, menopausal women may also experience these symptoms of sexual dysfunction.

While male sex drive is easy to define -- and relatively easy to restore -- thats often not the case for women. Because the female sex drive is multi-factorial, the desire to make love is not only influenced by physical issues, but emotional ones as well.

"Part of the desire to make love is clearly physical, but part is also emotional – depression can make a difference, so can any emotional issue in a womans life; female sex drive is very multidimensional," says Glenn D. Braunstein, MD, an endocrinologist and chair of the department of medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. While emotions are frequently behind a loss of sex drive in younger women, doctors say it is frequently the aging process itself thats causes changes in desire in women over age 45. "The very fact that a woman is no longer ovulating regularly, or not ovulating at all, automatically takes her sex drive down a few notches," says Steven Goldstein, MD, professor of ob-gyn and NYU Medical Center in New York City. He also continues that trying to avoid sex because of associated difficulties only leads to more pain. The old "use or lose it" theory really does apply. "From a strictly physical standpoint, the less sex you have the more painful it is when you try to have it," he says.

Causes of Loss of Libido

Like many menopausal symptoms, the primary cause of loss of libido has its roots in hormonal imbalance. However, physical, psychological and relationship issues can affect the libido during menopause as well.

Hormonal Causes of Loss of Libido

During menopause, one of the most common identifiable causes of loss of libido is hormonal imbalance. Reductions in the levels of three major hormones can contribute to the reduction of sexual drive and energy.

Estrogen

Estrogen plays a vital role in female sexuality by increasing sensations, assisting in the production of vaginal lubrication, and maintaining the health of vaginal tissue.

As a woman approaches menopause, her body begins to produce less estrogen. This can cause a host of symptoms that can contribute to a womans loss of libido, such as hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, and vaginal dryness.

Progesterone

Progesterone hormones are also integral to maintaining sexual health. When levels are too low during menopause, the resulting irregular periods, fatigue and other menopause symptoms can cause loss of libido.

Androgens/ Testosterone

As with estrogen, the body begins to produce lower levels of androgens (e.g. testosterone) with age. Experts believe that this drop in androgens can also cause women to experience loss of libido around the time of menopause.

While hormonal change is often a major cause of loss of libido during menopause, other factors can also cause or contribute to a womans loss of libido. Read on to learn about these other causes of loss of libido

Other Causes of Loss of Libido

In addition to hormonal causes of loss of libido, several other factors can lead to this common menopausal symptom. The other causes can be separated into three categories: physical, psychological, and relational causes. These other causes are listed below.                                                                                                            

Physical Causes

• Sexual dysfunction
• Pain-related conditions
• Medication use
• Hysterectomy
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Anemia
• Chronic disease
• Vaginal dryness     

Psychological Causes

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Changes in self esteem and body image
• Concerns about aging
• Feelings about sex
• Psychological disease (e.g. mood swings, depression, and anxiety)   

Relational Causes

• Changes in partners   physical health
• Intimate relationship   changes
• Availability of partner
• Lack of communication   between partners
• Changing social role
• Family changes
• Low sex drive in partner
• Major life changes

Loss of libido is a complex symptom of menopause with many potential causes.

Chronic Stress and Sex Life

Most of us know that chronic stress isn’t healthy, but we may not realize the toll it takes on libido. The body interprets ongoing stress as life threatening, so naturally, survival is prioritized ahead of pleasure. Stress over-burdens the adrenal glands, “stealing” the substances normally used to make estrogens and testosterone, both vital to desire and sexual response.

Many women we talk to at the clinic and in our Personal Programs tell us they feel overwhelmed by stress. This puts them at significant risk for adrenal imbalance. If you are under constant stress, you’re not going to feel much like having sex. So in the interest of your health, and your sex life, it may be time to reassess the conditions that are creating stress in your life.

There’s also a connection between nutrition and libido, because nutrient deficiencies stress your internal systems and set the stage for hormonal imbalance. Many women diet continually to improve their appearance, unaware that ongoing nutrient deprivation can have a drastic impact on physical health, energy levels, and self-image. All of these effects make you feel awful and drain your sex drive. Note that low-fat diets are especially problematic, because your body needs lipids and cholesterol to make hormones, including the testosterone needed for sexual response.

Treatments for Loss of Libido

Fortunately, loss of libido can easily be treated through a variety of methods. Oftentimes lifestyle changes such as a few changes in diet and exercise patterns will not only help to treat loss of libido, but corresponding stress and anxiety as well.

You CAN improve your sex drive by...

• Restoring balance between the three major sex hormones.
• Practicing sound nutrition to support physical and emotional health, and taking steps to get regular, restorative sleep.
• Exercising, to build energy and stamina, both elements of libido. Exercise can also directly reduce menopausal symptoms.
• Healing old emotional wounds, and being aware that stress takes both an emotional and physical toll on your libido.
• Understanding that your self-image and sexual identity evolve throughout your life. It’s a gift to allow yourself to be (and look like) the woman you really are.

Recommended Foods

• Oysters, Red Meat, Liver, Kidney Beans (zinc)   
• Leafy Greens, Almonds, Buckwheat (magnesium)
• Lean Meats, Fish, Nuts, Dairy (protein)
• Edamame, Tofu, Miso, Soymilk (soy products)

Recommended Exercises

• Yoga (increased flexibility, relaxation)                                                                                            
• Kegel Exercises (strengthens vaginal muscles)
• Aerobics (heart health, circulation)
• Stretching (relaxation, stress relief, improved muscle tone)                                                        

However, because the root of the problem for women going through menopause is a drop in hormone levels, the best way to treat this problem is to go directly to the hormonal source. Natural supplements are an excellent and safe way to achieve this.

In more extreme cases, there are medical solutions such as surgery or pharmaceutical options, though due to risk of side effects or other complications this should be the last resort.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/loss-libido.htm

http://www.womentowomen.com/sexualityandfertility/menopause-sexdrive-libido.aspx

http://www.femhealth.net/menopause-symptoms/treatment-loss-of-libido.htm

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/sex-drive-and-menopause

Dry Eyes Symptom during Menopause

When you think about Menopause symptoms, what naturally comes to your mind? Most likely, it is hot flashes, insomnia, vaginal dryness, mood swings, fatigue, and headaches. Yet one symptom affects more than 60% of women and most of them don’t even know it is connected to menopause: dry eyes. And more often than not, other imbalances that affect the eye are also at work but only become evident when hormones begin to fluctuate.

Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from dry eyes; and for reasons scientists dont understand, Hispanic and Asian women are especially vulnerable.

Symptoms of dry eye

Temporary mild symptoms of tired, itchy, or red eyes that abate with sleep, a change in environment, or taking your contact lenses out can be chalked up to obvious culprits. But worsening or persistent symptoms should be taken seriously. They include:

• itchiness
• a scratchy or gritty feeling
• tears running down the cheeks
• increasingly tired eyes during the day
• irritation from smoke, wind, or air movement
• stringy mucus
• sensitivity to light
• blurriness
• problems wearing contact lenses

If dry eye is left untreated, the cornea can become scarred or develop ulcers. Infection can also become more common because eye fluids help carry away debris. Vision can be affected, and you may feel chronic eye pain. But getting to the real cause of the condition can take some sleuthing.

What causes dry eyes?

In dry eye syndrome, the lacrimal gland or associated glands near the eye dont produce enough tears, or the tears have a chemical composition that causes them to evaporate too quickly.

Dry eye syndrome has several causes. It occurs as a part of the natural aging process, especially during menopause; as a side effect of many medications, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, certain blood pressure medicines, Parkinsons medications and birth control pills; or because you live in a dry, dusty or windy climate.

If your home or office has air conditioning or a dry heating system, that too can dry out your eyes. Another cause is insufficient blinking, such as when youre staring at a computer screen all day.

Dry eyes also are a symptom of systemic diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ocular rosacea or Sjogrens syndrome (a triad of dry eyes, dry mouth and rheumatoid arthritis or lupus).

Long-term contact lens wear is another cause; in fact, dry eyes are the most common complaint among contact lens wearers. Recent research indicates that contact lens wear and dry eyes can be a vicious cycle. Dry eye syndrome makes contact lenses feel uncomfortable, and evaporation of moisture from contact lenses worsens dry eye symptoms.

Incomplete closure of the eyelids, eyelid disease and a deficiency of the tear-producing glands are other causes. Tears are composed of three layers:

• the outer, oily lipid layer;
• the middle, watery, lacrimal layer;
• and the inner, mucous or mucin layer.

Each layer is produced by different glands near the eye. The lacrimal gland located above the outer corner of the eye produces the lacrimal layer, for example. So a problem with any of those sources can result in dry eyes.

With increased popularity of cosmetic eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) for improved appearance, dry eye complaints now occasionally are associated with incomplete closure of eyelids following such a procedure.

There are other ertain lifestyle factors that contribute to dry eyes include:

• Living and working in dry places. Dryness is usually worse in dry weather, in desert climates, during the winter, and when the eyes are exposed to second hand tobacco smoke or air pollution.
• Having LASIK surgery, which cuts eye nerves, reducing impulses for blinking. If you are considering LASIK, be aware that dry eyes may disqualify you for the surgery, at least until the problem is resolved.
• Diets that don’t provide sufficient essential fatty acids or anti-inflammatory foods

Conventional medicine generally stops here when it comes to identifying the cause of dry eye, but the root imbalances that lead to many cases of dry eye extend much deeper, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopause. Often it’s just the tip of the iceberg. That’s because hormones play an important role in tear production and lubrication.

Hormonal changes and dry eyes

The degree to which your hormones affect your eye health depends largely on your individual blueprint and lifestyle. However, studies have linked androgen (testosterone) and estrogen receptors on the cornea of the eye and on the meibomian gland. This indicates a correlation between the production of tears and our sex hormones.

Before menopause, the more testosterone you have, the fewer tears you produce, while an increase in estrogen means more tear production. However, this equation reverses during menopause — more testosterone means more tear production, while more estrogen means less tear production. And while we still need to learn more about how this mechanism works, it’s clear that hormones play a significant role in lubricating our eyes. It makes sense that dry eyes may result from estrogen deficiency, progesterone deficiency, testosterone deficiency or possibly from an imbalance of any of the three.

When your eyes stay dry for too long, the result is localized inflammation. This immune response releases all kinds of inflammatory substances which make your eyes red, itchy, and swollen. The appearance of dry eyes often coincides with other signs of “drying” in menopause, like sore joints and dry vaginal tissues. Restoring a natural internal balance between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is an important remedy for dry eyes.

Relief for dry eyes

Everybody is unique so you may need to experiment to find a combination of changes that work for you.

Optimize your nutrition. Eat three balanced meals a day, consisting of whole foods in any nutritional gaps with a daily multivitamin. Eat less meat, fried foods and dairy products and more chunky white tuna and walnuts.

Balance your hormones. Gentle endocrine support can help the body generate its natural levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. You may also notices that some simple dietary changes, like eating more whole grains and less sugar and processed foods can help control insulin levels and reduce chronic inflammation.

Include flaxseed in your diet. Flaxseed is one of natures best sources of n-3 essential fatty acids, which are the essential fatty acids the body uses to make anti-inflammatory hormones. Brazilian clinical researchers have found that flaxseed oil is an effective treatment for the condition of dry, red, inflamed eyes known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Brazilian women taking one or two 1,000-mg capsules of flaxseed oil every day for six months experienced a dramatic reduction in the redness and inflammation associated with dryness.

Evaluate your medications. If you are on medication, speak with your doctor about the possibility of it contributing to your dry eyes. Keep in mind that many medications required by adults over age 40 may cause or worsen dry eye problems. Examples include diuretics (often prescribed for heart conditions) and antidepressants. There may be suitable alternatives that cause fewer side effects.

Avoid excessive pollution and other irritants. Here’s another great reason to quit smoking: smoke aggravates dry eyes. Also, try to avoid rubbing your eyes since it can disturb tear film, remove moisture, and introduce bacteria or irritants into the eye. Try to buy hypoallergenic make-up as well.

Hydrate and humidify. Dehydration can draw fluid from the eyes, so remember to drink plenty of fluids. Non-diuretic drinks like water, pure juices, milk and herbal teas are good choices for hydration. You may also try using a humidifier to reduce tear evaporation, but be sure to clean it daily with soap to avoid introducing more irritants into the air.

Blink! Try to blink at least every five seconds or so, particularly when looking at your computer screen. It may also be helpful to lower your computer monitor a bit so your eyelids cover more of your eyeballs while you look at it.

Avoid unnecessary touching eyes. Too much rubbing may cause a loss of moisture and can promote bacteria growth in the eye.

Practice care with contact lenses. Contacts can sap the eye’s fluid and collect proteins, irritating eyes further with roughness and an environment conducive to growing bacteria. Keep lenses very clean, consider wearing them less, or explore lenses designed for dry eyes. Not all drops can be used with contacts, so check the labels.

Optimize your computer experience. Rearrange your computer screen so that you are looking down on the monitor.

Avoid (or at least reduce) eye make-up whenever it is possible. Some of the make-up brands might cause severe irritation and other negative health consequences.

Get more sleep! Last but definitely not least: enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits of regular sleep! Beyond giving your eyes a chance to rest and refresh, good quality sleep reduces stress that can contribute to hormonal imbalances. Our bodies detoxify and attend to much needed cellular repair while we sleep, which helps soothe inflammation in all systems.

Note that all these recommendations may provide temporary relief or might be insufficient to improve the dry eyes conditions significantly. If your symptoms are severe, you should visit your eye care professional. There are prescription tears available that are longer lasting and more effective than over-the-counter alternatives. Your eye doctor may recommend inserting punctal plugs - special silicone plugs placed into the tear ducts, preventing tears from draining out. This allows tears to lubricate the surface longer. There is also surgery available that can help stimulate tear production in the eyes of older women.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.womentowomen.com/womenshealth/dryeyes.aspx

http://www.dryeyesyndrome.net/herbal-remedies/dryeyesyndrome/menopause-and-dry-eyes

http://www.empowher.com/menopause/content/truth-behind-menopause-and-dry-eye-syndrome

http://www.eyedoctorguide.com/eye_problems/dry_eyes_menopause.html

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/dryeye.htm

http://www.your-eye-sight.org/dry-eyes.html