Super stressed? Well, your vagina might be noticing.
On top of being one of your hardest-working organs, the vagina is extremely communicative (fun fact: even your vaginal discharge sends signals when something is going on in your body). So, when you’re in a period of prolonged stress, it’s completely normal to notice an impact on your vaginal health.
A big reason for this is that stress wreaks havoc on your endocrine system, or the system that manages the production and release of hormones in your body. Too much cortisol, a.k.a the stress hormone, can do a number on your pH balance, vaginal moisture, and even your pelvic floor. Big yikes.
If this is all news to you, no worries—we’ve got the info you need. Let’s dive into how to identify when stress is impacting your vaginal health, common stressors, and how to fix it.
What Are The Types Of Stress?
First things first, let’s get specific. There’s:
- Acute (short-term) stress, sparked by minor situations like traffic or a snarky comment
- Chronic (long-term) stress, caused by longer-lasting stressors like relationship conflicts or a less-than-ideal 9 to 5
- Traumatic stress, experienced during and after a violent crime, accident, or traumatic event
Your body’s equipped to handle its fair share of short-term stress, because it’s a part of daily life. There’s no avoiding the occasional road rager or unpleasant interaction. But when we talk about stress having serious effects on your vaginal health, we’re mainly looking at the long-term kind.
What Causes Stress?
Don’t believe you’re under all that much stress? Or have a feeling you might be, but not sure what the cause is? Check out these typical long-term stressors and see where you might be at:
- Lack of sleep. The adult female body requires 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. If you’ve been cheating yourself out of rest or burning the midnight oil, you’re likely putting your body through a whole lot more than it can handle.
- Dissatisfaction at work. We’re gonna hold your hand when we say this: if you dread going to work every day, fear discussions with your boss or coworkers, or feel like you’re being overworked, then your job is extremely stressful—and likely having an impact on your health. This is especially common for women who struggle with imposter syndrome.
- Too much vigorous exercise. Exercise is supposed to nourish your body, not punish it. If you’ve been hitting multiple high-intensity workouts per day, many days per week, you’re putting your body under a ton of stress—and it could be crying out for help.
- Extreme dieting. Ask any doctor: long periods of restricting your food intake can do a number on you,, physically and psychologically. In fact, even moderate dieting has been shown to directly “trigger stress hormones.”1 If you’ve been eating way less calories than your body needs for some time, you’re jacking up the cortisol levels in your body. Talk with your doctor about what dietary choices are right for you.
How Stress Impacts The Vagina
Now that we know what might be causing your stress levels to skyrocket, let’s talk about how your vagina might be protesting.
Strong odors.
Surprise! Increased cortisol production can throw off the delicate balance of flora in your vagina’s microbiome, knocking your vagina’s pH balance out of whack and resulting in strong vaginal odor.2 So if you notice that your vaginal discharge smells differently than normal, consider introducing a gentle, pH balanced intimate wash—and address what’s causing you stress.
Vaginal dryness.
Another one of stress’s many talents? Decreasing blood flow to your vagina—which can bring lubrication to a halt and deplete vaginal moisture. If you’re experiencing sudden vaginal dryness, it could be a major sign that your stress levels have gotten out of control. To address the issue, you might want to look into supplements that offer lubrication support like slippery elm or maca root. And if you’re looking for something that packs a one-two punch, may we suggest MENO Vaginal Moisture?
Sudden BV or yeast infections.
Prolonged stress weakens your immune system, leaving your vagina extra-prone to infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV) or candidiasis (yeast infections)2. So, if you’ve been extremely stressed and suddenly notice gray-green discharge, vaginal irritation, or other symptoms of either of these infections, that may be what’s happening. We recommend getting in contact with your provider (and consider discussing the possibility of boric acid suppositories).
Irregular periods.
Your body responds to prolonged, elevated levels of stress by entering survival mode, or prioritizing vital processes over reproductive functions—and this includes the menstrual cycle. If you’ve been under pressure and notice irregularities in your cycle (changes in flow, extra-long periods, or missing periods altogether), it’s time to contact your primary care provider. If you’re interested in giving your endocrine system a lil’ TLC, you might want to introduce a daily superfood powder or supplement.
Pelvic floor tension.
When you’re stressed or activated, your muscles tense—and this includes your pelvic floor. According to Continence Health Australia, all that tensing over time can lead to a hypertonic, or over-tensed, pelvic floor.3 How does that affect your vaginal health? For starters, urinary incontinence, painful urination, and painful sex. If you start noticing any of these conditions, it’s past time to start managing your stress.
Now What?
As much as we love giving you solutions for the ways stress affects your vaginal health (and we really do love it), you also need to look at the root issue: your external stressors. If the pressure you’re under is starting to impact your health, it’s time to take stock and make some serious changes to your lifestyle.
Can’t quit that stressful job? Fine—think about introducing some distancing methods or talking with someone you can trust outside of the workplace. Don’t want to give up the workouts you love? That’s okay! Let’s balance out your high-impact workouts with walking, yoga, or another mindfulness activity. Connect with your support network to identify where you’re putting yourself under unnecessary tension—and start working on eliminating it. After all, life’s meant to be enjoyed, not endured.
