I'm not surprised by a new survey showing that the majority of women over 50 who experience vaginal dryness don't feel comfortable talking to their doctors about it. The survey, sponsored by hormone therapy manufacturer Novo Nordisk, finds that 40 percent of post-menopausal women experience dryness and pain but that 7 out of 10 aren't seeking any advice from a gynecologist or family physician.

The truth is, I've had vaginal dryness, too, after the birth of my first baby, and I didn't think of broaching the topic at my postnatal exam. I don't remember being told that this was a common side effect of plummeting estrogen levels after pregnancy. Though it makes perfect sense-nature's way of saying let's hold off on getting pregnant again, at least until your body no longer needs to produce all that milk.

New moms weren't surveyed by Novo Nordisk, since they can't use the estrogen creams and tablets produced by the company. They also weren't surveyed by hormone maker Wyeth in its new report showing that 1 in 4 post-menopausal women has such bad vaginal dryness that she experiences burning and sharp pain during intercourse. Breast cancer patients weren't included either, even though they, too, frequently have severe vaginal dryness. They're usually told not to use estrogen products because of risks associated with recurrence.

So what are the best ways to relieve vaginal dryness? Nursing mothers and those with a history of breast cancer can try the first five things below, while post-menopausal women with no health problems can try all six. And, yes, do talk to your doctor about these problems since they can sometimes be caused by medications like antidepressants or an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's syndrome.

1. Stay hydrated. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day will help keep your tissues moist, including those below the belt.

2. Lubricate, and lubricate some more. Many women achieve instant relief simply by using a lubricant. There are at least half a dozen of these on drugstore shelves. You may need to experiment to find one that works best for you.

3 . Avoid personal hygiene sprays. Chemicals in these products can be irritating to delicate tissues that line the vagina.

4 . Skip the douching. This can disrupt the vagina's normal chemical balance, leading to inflammation and dryness.

5 . Eat health ful amounts of "good" fats. Your body needs a little fat with every meal to make adequate levels of sex hormones. Flaxseed oil and soy, which have estrogenlike effects, may help somewhat with vaginal dryness.

6 . Consider a topical estrogen cream and vaginal suppositories. They're an option if your symptoms were brought on by menopause. But you'll also need to take a progesterone tablet if you have a uterus to protect yourself from endometrial cancer. Bioidentical estrogen and progesterone are available for those who want chemically identical versions of the hormones made naturally by the body.

一份新的调查表明大部分50岁以上有阴道干涩症状的妇女对与自己的医生讨论此事感到难受，对此我并不惊讶。调查由激素疗法制造商诺和诺德发起，发现40%的绝经妇女承受着阴道干涩的痛苦，但70%并没有寻求妇科医生或家庭医生的建议。

事实上，在我的第一个孩子出生后，同样有过阴道干涩，并且在产后检查中没有想到提出这个问题。我不记得有人告诉过我这是产后雌激素下降的副作用。虽然这非常有意义--至少在你的身体无需产乳之前，以自然的方式发表"让我们再次孕育新生命"的宣言。

新妈妈们没有在诺和诺德公司的调查对象中，因为她们不能使用公司生产雌激素软膏或片剂。她们同样不是激素制造商惠氏一份新报告中的调查对象，报告显示四分之一的绝经期妇女有严重的阴道干涩症状以至于在性交会产生灼痛感。调查同样不包括乳腺癌患者，虽然她们同样有严重的阴道干涩的困扰。因为存在乳腺癌复发风险，她们常被告知不能使用雌激素。

那么缓解阴道干涩的最好方法是什么呢？哺乳期的妈妈们及有乳腺癌病史的妇女可以尝试以下内容的前五项，而无其它健康问题的绝经后妇女可以尝试以下所有的六项建议。并且，是的，无需将这些问题告诉你的医生，因为这些问题有时是由于抗抑郁药或自身免疫疾病引起的，称之为"斯耶格伦氏综合征".

PS:Sjogren's Syndrome简单来说是当身体受到外来异物统称抗原细菌病毒真菌攻击时就会产生自体防卫的体系的统称。

1.保持身体水分。每天喝6-8杯水有助于保持组织湿润，包括腰部以下的组织。

2.润滑剂，多一些润滑。许多女性通过使用润滑剂得到立竿见影的缓解。药店货架上至少有半打以上的润滑剂种类。你可能需要尝试不同的品牌选择其中对最有效的一种。

3.避免使用个人卫生喷雾剂。这些产品中的化学成分可能会刺激阴道组织。

4.跳过冲洗。这可能会扰乱阴道正常的化学平衡，导致炎症及燥症。

5.摄取适量的"有益"脂肪。你的身体每餐需要少量脂肪保持性激素平衡。亚麻籽油和大豆，有类似雌激素的作用，可能或多或少地有助于缓和阴道干燥。

6. 考虑一款局部雌激素乳霜或阴道栓剂。当你的干燥症状由绝经引起时，它们可供选择。但是同样你需要服用黄体酮片剂防止自己患子宫内膜癌。生物特性相同的雌激素和黄体酮（一种结晶状的荷尔蒙）适用于那些希望荷尔蒙化学成分由自身自然产生的人。