This week on Tuck Talk , we will find interesting things close to you. Behaviors that damage your vagina without you knowing it? Vaginal dryness, looseness, urine leakage, common sexual problems that young people can have? Want a tight vagina, you have to practice 100 squeezings a day. Is it true that eating foods to boost hormones really works? Want your vagina to be full and beautiful? What should you do? Sharing knowledge by “Dr. Pailin Sinprasit” answering all questions.
What are the sexual health problems that doctors often see in people aged 40 and above or in menopause?
Dr. Pailin: Mostly, people in their 40s and 50s come to see the doctor with problems of loose vaginas, vaginal dryness, and urine leakage. For example, if they have regular sexual activity, they will come with problems of loose vaginas. When they have sex, air may come out of the vagina, which we call vaginal flatulence.
What if someone doesn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend and has no sexual activities at all?
Dr. Pailin: There is a similar problem. In cases where there is no boyfriend, no sexual activity at all, there will be problems of vaginal dryness, burning when urinating. This is because during menopause, estrogen hormones will decrease, causing the lining of the vagina to become thinner. The secretion of vaginal lubricant will also decrease, causing vaginal dryness. Estrogen hormone helps produce glycogen in the vaginal lining. This is the main food for good bacteria, such as lactobacillus in the vagina. This will make the pH of the vagina slightly acidic, around 3.4 – 4.5. But when our estrogen decreases, it will make it easier for infections to occur.
Some people have problems with not being fit or firm. What causes this besides age?
Dr. Pailin : A loose vagina is actually caused by two main organs: the pelvic floor muscles and the internal vaginal walls. As we age, from the ages of 20–25 and up, the body’s collagen production decreases by about 1% per year, including our internal organs. This causes the vaginal walls to become thinner and less elastic than before because of a lack of collagen and elastin.
If some people take supplements or herbs to take care of themselves from the outside, will it help to some extent?
Dr. Pailin: It can help in a more holistic way. There are some herbs such as Pueraria Mirifica that can help with high estrogen hormones, but it is recommended to consume under the supervision of a doctor for safety. Some foods that are high in phytoestrogen such as flaxseed, sesame, tofu, soybeans, carrots, and broccoli can also help in terms of increasing estrogen hormones. However, in some cases where it is not caused by an estrogen problem, it will not help.
I heard that if you are constipated often and have to strain when you have a bowel movement, is this true?
Dr. Pailin: It mainly depends on how strong our pelvic floor muscles are because these muscles have two functions. The first is to support internal organs in the lower abdomen, such as the bladder, uterus, and large intestine. The other is to control the excretion of the urinary system and feces because these muscles pass through the openings of the anus, urethra, and vagina. In cases where the muscles are starting to weaken and we strain frequently, it will cause looseness. But if the muscles are still strong, there will be no problem. Constipation is already bad, and lifting heavy objects also has an effect, especially in women who have given birth to multiple children, which can cause weak pelvic floor muscles. If the muscles are not strong, the uterus may prolapse or internal organs may move down, which also involves the core body muscles, such as the abdominal muscles, pelvic muscles, and hip muscles. If these muscles are strong, they will reduce the impact when we lift heavy objects, so there will be no problem.
If people have a lot of children?
Dr. Pailin: If you have many children, your muscles will be weak anyway, which can cause problems.
Do some sports, running, jumping, cause problems with the vagina?
Dr. Pailin: There is a chance. For example, in some cases, young people who do activities that stimulate and put pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, such as jumping, running, which are high impact activities, can cause the muscles in that area to become more sagging, causing urine leakage. Or when we have chronic coughing from certain lung diseases or are overweight, this part will press on the pelvic floor muscles, causing them to leak more.
Does lack of rest affect our sister’s health?
Dr. Pailin: It does. Lack of sleep can increase stress in the body, which increases aging (deterioration) in the body, reducing the stimulation of collagen production. These can cause deterioration in the vaginal organs.
Some adults will eventually leak urine and cannot hold it in?
Dr. Pailin: The main cause is weak pelvic floor muscles, which can cause pallava. However, we have an exercise method to strengthen the muscles called Kegel Exercise, which is a vaginal tightening. Kegel Exercise is a vaginal tightening. The method is to tighten the vagina for 5-10 seconds. While doing it, breathe in and out. Do not hold your breath. Also, do not tense the abdominal muscles or inner thighs, which will be the wrong point. You have to do it continuously many times, more than 100 times a day, and do it for more than 6 weeks to see clear results. Therefore, most people do not do it continuously, so the results are not clear. However, there is now an innovation that helps tighten the vagina. It is a concentrated wave that specifically targets the pelvic floor muscles, causing continuous and effective contractions, which is better than exercise.
What is repair?
Dr. Pailin: There are 2 methods of vaginal repair: 1. Surgery is suitable for cases with serious problems, such as the uterus dropping into the vagina. For some people who have not had surgery and have not seen results, they will use surgery. However, the disadvantages are that they need to rest, are in pain, and are at risk of infection. 2. Non-surgical methods are very popular because they do not require rest, are fast, and are not painful. The machine used is RF energy or electromagnetic waves and heat energy. This will stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, making the vagina tighter and helping to increase moisture in the vagina.
Some people are not yet 20 years old, but their younger sister looks worn out like she is 50-60 years old. Is there such a thing?
Dr. Pailin: It’s possible. Most of the time, it comes from genetics or individual structure. If it’s really bad, surgery might be needed. If it’s not too bad, you might try Nini Repair without surgery.
Can LGBTQ transgender women do this?
Dr. Pailin : If it’s about the anus, it’s a different type of muscle. Mini Repair might not be a problem. But if it’s a transgender woman who has had sex reassignment surgery and starts to have sagging problems, they can come and do it.
How can we take care of our younger sister so that our sexual health improves?
Dr. Pailin: The first thing is to exercise by squeezing the vagina (Kegel Exercise). You have to do it continuously, more than 100 times a day. The second thing is to strengthen your core body muscles, such as your abdominal muscles and hip squats. Exercises such as yoga and Pilates can also help. Control your weight to be in the appropriate range because being overweight will press on your pelvic muscles, causing them to sag. The third thing is to eat some foods that are high in estrogen, such as flaxseed, sesame, tofu, soybeans, carrots, and broccoli. Eat them in a balanced and varied manner.
