Can low estrogen levels cause vaginitis in women?

When estrogen is low, patients will obviously feel symptoms of physical discomfort, but they still have to go to the hospital for examination to confirm the diagnosis. As we all know, diagnosis cannot be made based on physical symptoms alone. Patients can then undergo hormone tests to find out the level of hormones. The six hormone tests are a must. When patients know that their estrogen level is low, they still have many questions and worry that their gynecological diseases will become more complicated or increase. So, will low estrogen cause vaginitis? In fact, low estrogen has no direct relationship with vaginitis, but it is related to bacterial infections after low estrogen.

Estrogen is a female hormone produced by the ovaries and placenta. The adrenal cortex also produces small amounts of estrogen. After female children enter puberty, their ovaries begin to secrete estrogen to promote the development of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries themselves. At the same time, the endometrium proliferates and produces menstruation. Vaginitis occurs in normal women of childbearing age. Under the action of endocrine hormones, the vaginal epithelial cells proliferate. The surface cells are rich in glycogen, which is very conducive to the growth of facultative anaerobic lactobacilli. This bacterium accounts for more than 90% of the vagina. The presence of a large number of this lactobacilli inhibits the growth of other pathogenic bacteria and forms a normal ecological balance in the vagina.

When the body's estrogen level drops, it causes vaginal epithelial atrophy and a decrease in cell glycogen, which is not conducive to the growth of lactobacilli. Excessive use of antibiotics or excessive flushing of the vagina with alkaline fluids inhibits the growth of lactobacilli. Promiscuous sex and frequent sexual intercourse (because the pH of semen is 7.2-7.8) lead to the proliferation of pathogenic anaerobic bacteria and Gardnerella, causing an imbalance in the ecological balance of vaginal microorganisms, a decrease in facultative aerobic lactobacilli, and ultimately leading to bacterial vaginosis.

Frequent vaginal douching:

Some women like to use wash liquid to clean the vulva or vagina, thinking that this can keep the vulva clean. However, they do not know that frequent use of wash liquid will disrupt the acid-base balance of the vagina, thereby increasing the chance of vaginitis infection.

Not paying attention to personal hygiene:

Using public toilets or swimming in public swimming pools can also cause vaginitis, among which the more common ones are those caused by Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans. In addition, if women do not pay attention to menstrual hygiene, do not change their underwear frequently, and do not strictly disinfect their underwear, it may also cause vaginitis.

Unclean hygiene products:

Women can also easily develop vaginitis if they use unclean or poorly disinfected sanitary products. For example, dirty toilet paper, sanitary napkins, and panty liners.

Misuse of antibiotics:

The misuse of antibiotics is also a major cause of vaginitis. This is because while antibiotics kill pathogenic bacteria, they also inhibit the growth of some beneficial bacteria in the female body, which gives harmful bacteria an opportunity to take advantage of and cause vaginitis, the most common of which is candidal vaginitis.

Sexual life:

Frequent sexual activity is the main cause of vaginitis. Sex during menstruation and unclean sexual activity are also causes of vaginitis.

Will low estrogen cause vaginitis? There is no clear answer to this question. From the perspective of medical knowledge, vaginitis is a disease caused by bacterial infection of the vagina and is related to daily hygiene. Low estrogen is a hormone problem, so there is no connection between the two. However, when estrogen is low, a variety of gynecological diseases will occur, and bacterial infections in the body will affect inflammation, so there is a chance of developing other related diseases, which in turn affect vaginal inflammation.