Every woman is familiar with vaginal itching, pain, or a different discharge.
The causes of these phenomena are many, and they can be symptoms of both serious illnesses and the common cold or non-compliance with intimate hygiene rules.
Often itching spreads to the labia and the crotch area and is accompanied by redness, burning and vaginal discharge. Depending on the nature of the disease, itching in the vagina after sexual intercourse is complemented by pain during intercourse or cutting during urination.
Pesky itching leads to scratching and wounds, through which pathogens easily enter, leading to infectious inflammation, and creating additional problems.
If it is itchy vaginal region or external genital organs, it does not always mean a terrible disease - it is possible to use antiseptics a couple of times to eliminate itching. But you can not self-medicate or ignore the unpleasant symptoms, as they may indicate a serious disease that requires complex treatment, for example, candidiasis, allergies or sexually transmitted diseases.
Only a gynecologist on the basis of examination and analysis will help get rid of the symptoms of the disease quickly and permanently.
Itchy vagina: the mechanism of occurrence
Inflamed irritated walls provoke a feeling of itching in the vagina. Such irritation is caused by biological microorganisms or chemicals. The reaction of the brain to inflammation of the vaginal mucosa becomes weak pain impulses, which the body interprets as a feeling of itching.
Sometimes the mechanism of occurrence of such sensations is the formation of central impulses in the brain on the basis of psychological deviations. Naturally, in this case even anesthetics will not help - corrective psychotherapy is needed.
Causes of itching in the vagina
The constant desire to scratch the crotch area, which does not take place for a long time after friction, washing or douching - this is how the itching in the vagina is characterized, which makes it wary and see a doctor.
The mucous membrane of the vagina and the skin around it is injured, even wounds, scratching to the blood are possible.
Any unprofessional interventions - douching with drugs, taking sedatives, painkillers or anesthetic drugs - all this can drastically change the picture of the disease and mislead the doctor during the examination.
As a rule, when the vagina is itchy, it may additionally manifest itself:
• unpleasant smell;
• rash on the mucous or on the genital lips;
• white, slimy, bloody or brown vaginal discharge;
• itching of the entire perineum;
• vaginal dryness;
• lower abdominal pain;
• foreign body sensation in an itchy area.
It can be scratched with varying intensity - from an intolerable, disrupting normal activity, itching, to a mild, reminding of itself only at bedtime or during periods of rest. Usually it is aggravated by wearing synthetic and cramped linen and clothes, abuse of daily pads. At the same time, the temperature in the groin area rises, the number of microorganisms grows faster and friction increases.
Itching in the vagina: the main reasons
A huge number of reasons can cause itching. Conditionally there are three groups - gynecological diseases, general body pathologies, and other stimuli. About each tell more.
Gynecological diseases
Itching in the vagina due to gynecological disease can cause both inflammation and muscle wasting or swelling.
Inflammatory nature of itching
Virtually every inflammatory process in the urogenital system is accompanied by itching and burning in the vagina and around it.
Pathology of the genitourinary system can cause:
• conditionally pathogenic bacteria, which are normally present in the body of each woman, and lead to problems only with a weakened immune system or a violation of the vaginal microflora, when they begin to multiply rapidly;
• external sexually transmitted infections (STDs) - can develop latently, not manifesting themselves for a long time, and, under favorable conditions, show themselves as itching, rashes and burning.
The main bacterial inflammations that cause itching:
• candidiasis (thrush, yeast colpitis), caused by the yeast fungus Candida albicans or Monilia - is accompanied by a burning sensation with white or grayish, cheesy, thick, cheesy discharge with a characteristic odor;
• bacterial vaginitis or colpitis - active growth of opportunistic bacteria (gardnerella, E. coli or cocci), leading to white secretions with an unpleasant fish odor, symptoms worsen before menstruation.
Inflammations caused by sexually transmitted infections:
• sexually transmitted diseases - syphilis, gonorrhea, soft chancre, venereal lymphogranuloma, donovanosis;
• Chlamydia with frequent relapses;
• trichomoniasis with yellow-green odor;
• genital herpes - caused by the corresponding virus, accompanied by painful rash-bubbles on the swollen skin or mucous membrane, and when the bubbles burst, they provoke a lot of small erosions and severe edema;
• ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis - greenish discharge along with itching;
• genital warts (warts) that cause HPV and are very difficult to treat.
Frequent complications of infectious diseases in the form of inflammation of the cervix (endometritis), urethra (urethritis), uterus (endometritis). Such diseases are accompanied by additional secretions, causing pain and burning.
Hormonal atrophic age-related changes
By itself, atrophy in a young woman is quite rare, so similar pathologies of the female genital organs are characteristic of women after 35 years or in patients with irregular menstrual cycles.
The vagina may itch with the following atrophies:
• Kraurosis of the vagina and vulva - a precancerous age process associated with atrophy of the mucous and vulvar skin, manifested by dryness and itching outside the vagina, its stenosis and sclerotic changes in the small and large labia;
• atrophy of the mucous membrane - typical for women during menopause, menstrual disorders and autoimmune diseases, while there is a burning, tingling and dryness of the vagina and labia, especially during sexual intercourse;
• urogenital fistula - formed after operations on the organs of the urogenital system, leading to inflammation of the vagina when urine gets on it.
Genital neoplasm:
• cancer of the uterus, cervix, ovary or vagina;
• fibroids;
• polyps;
• fibroids;
• cyst gartner course.
Any tumor is unpredictable and can cause pain, burning, itching in the vagina and discharge on the vulva.
What somatic diseases cause itching in the vagina
Any disease can provoke intoxication of the body and affect all its systems and organs. Often, the mucous walls of the vagina also suffer. What to suspect?
1. Diabetes. In this disease, without proper correction, disease-causing bacteria multiply more quickly.
2. Hormonal disorders are caused by estradiol deficiency. This is the female sex hormone that is responsible for the renewal and condition of the mucous membrane of the vaginal walls and the inner layer of the uterus. If estradiol is not enough, then the mucous membrane atrophies, secretion is not enough, and this dryness leads to a strong sensitivity of the vagina. It responds to external stimuli with severe injuries.
3. Diseases of the thyroid gland, kidney or liver. Cirrhosis, hepatitis, nephritis, anemia is a small part of the diseases that can cause discomfort in the vaginal area.
4. Cystitis. It is a common concomitant disease in STDs, candidiasis or pyelonephritis, causing itching, burning and pain.
5. Pubic louses, helminthiasis. These diseases can create the illusion of inflammation of the vagina, as irritants are located near it. Therefore, when complaining of itching in the vagina, the doctor may send a worm to the test on the egg.
6. Diseases of the digestive system - hemorrhoids, intestinal dysbiosis, anal fissures and proctitis often lead to slight itching of the external genital organs.
7. Nervous fatigue, stress. Emotional, mental disorders, depression, diseases of the nervous system and other disorders of the brain can also cause discomfort in the vagina.
Other reasons
The vagina may itch for other reasons.
Allergy
The immune response of the body, which is expressed by unpleasant sensations in the vagina, can occur on any allergen. These can be vaginal tampons or suppositories, intimate hygiene products, condoms, and similar daily use items.
A rather rare, but very uncomfortable phenomenon is an allergy to the sperm of the sexual partner. Allergen can be either the sperm protein itself, or various medications or food that the partner took before sexual intercourse. To dispel doubts, you need to pass allergy tests.
Discomfort in the vagina during pregnancy
The vast majority of pregnant women experienced itching, burning or pain, both external and internal genital organs. Blame the above hormonal surges. The mucous membrane of the vaginal walls changes the acid-base environment, leading to both its dryness and the increased dew of the yeast fungus, which often occurs in pregnant women.
In addition to thrush, itching in the area of the vagina in pregnant women may be due to genital herpes, which occurs due to a decrease in the immunity of the body.
Itching factors that can be removed by yourself
Frequent visits to the doctor with an itch complaint that a woman causes inappropriate behavior or inattention:
• wearing tight synthetic underwear;
• hypothermia or overheating;
• use of flavored irritants — perfumes in shower gel, soap, sanitary napkins, tampons, laundry detergent or toilet paper;
• neglect of individual intolerance to contraceptive drugs and barrier contraceptives, as well as lubricants and sex toys;
• violation of the rules of hygiene - inadequate care of the external genital organs and perineum;
• imbalance of nutrients as a result of unhealthy diets for weight loss, and as a result of unhealthy diets - hobbies for convenience foods, fast food, sweet or spicy foods.
If the discomfort is caused by one of the above conditions, then with its exclusion within three days the symptoms should disappear. In the opposite case, an urgent need to contact a gynecologist.
How to diagnose the cause of itching in the vagina
The main task of the diagnosis is to determine the root cause of the discomfort - inflammatory, infectious, hormonal, allergic disease or other types of disorders. The doctor should make the correct clinical picture at external examination, for this purpose it is necessary to adhere to some rules before going to the doctor.
Rules of conduct before the visit to the gynecologist:
• a couple of days before going to a doctor, you can’t use any candles or sprays, antibacterial agents, have sexual contact, douching;
• do not urinate a couple of hours before going to the doctor;
• On the eve of the visit, the external genitals should be washed with warm water and plain (not antibacterial!) Soap.
What tests are needed
First of all, a swab from the cervical canal is taken to determine the microflora of the vagina, after which, depending on the overall picture and symptoms of the disease, the following tests are possible:
• smear or scraping to diagnose PCR or ELISA for infections;
• Bakposev discharge from the vagina for the presence of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria and fungi, with resistance to antibiotics;
• general blood analysis;
• blood test for hormones (in case of suspected atrophic mucosal changes);
• ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
• analysis of feces for the presence of parasites
• allergy tests.
It may well be that after a thorough examination, the gynecologist will not need any tests at all if the causes of anxiety are already clear - these may be characteristic herpetic lesions, candidal cheesy plaque or condition of the cervix and vaginal mucosa.
If the examination revealed non-gynecological problems that cause itching in the vagina, then the patient is referred to a specialist for further consultation and treatment.
Vaginal itching: correct treatment
Before you go to the doctor, you need to exclude from the diet and treatment all possible stimuli and observe the reaction for a couple of days. If the itch has not stopped, you should immediately contact a medical institution.
If there is no opportunity to go to the hospital right away, then to alleviate the condition you need:
• wash more often by adding antiseptics to the water - chlorhexidine or some furatsilina (but not manganese or iodine);
• adhere to a hypoallergenic diet, eliminating spicy, pickled and sweet foods, eat more fermented milk products;
• use only cotton, breathable underwear;
• avoid physical exertion and sexual intercourse.
After the examination by a gynecologist, depending on the diagnosis of itching in the vagina, appropriate treatment will be prescribed.
Examples of therapy for gynecological diseases
Candidiasis (thrush) is treated with antifungal drugs based on clotrimazole both locally and by ingestion. Additionally, the vagina is treated with hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine. To normalize the microflora and raise the immunity use drugs "Linex", "acidophilus", immunomodulators and vitamin complex. An integral part of therapy for fungal diseases is a sparing diet without alcohol, sweets, spices and salt.
Bacterial vaginosis can be cured with local preparations in the form of antibacterial tablets or suppositories, and the main goal is to restore the microflora of the vagina with eubiotics. It is also recommended to use more fermented milk products in the diet of a sick woman.
Cervicitis requires complex treatment with antibiotics, antiviral and other medicines, depending on the stage of the disease and the susceptibility of the pathogen to the drugs. Chlamydial cervicitis is treated with tetracyclines, macrolides, quinolones and azalides, candidal - with fluconazole. Also used topically combined drugs such as terginan in the form of candles and creams.
Genital herpes is treatable with "Acyclovir", "Zovirax", "Immunex", and other antiviral medications. The effectiveness of therapy directly depends on the neglect of the disease. The sooner treatment is started, the easier it is to cope with the symptoms of herpes.In the course of treatment, immunotherapy is compulsory.
STDs require serious complex treatment only after a definitive diagnosis. Depending on the type of infection, antibiotics, immunostimulants, hepatoprotectors, enzyme preparations and vitamin complex are used. Local treatment of such diseases is ineffective.
In other cases, itching in the vagina, not related to gynecological diseases, therapy is selected by a specialist - allergist, endocrinologist, immunologist, neurologist or psychotherapist. Physiotherapy, hormonal therapy, sedatives and antihistamines can be prescribed.
Self-treatment and scratching of itchy areas may result in the addition of a secondary infection and the difficulty of diagnosing the underlying disease. In addition, the unauthorized use of antiseptics and, worse, antibiotics, causes addiction of bacteria, increases their resistance and puts the disease in a chronic stage. It is very difficult to cure relapses.
Do not get carried away with douches, imposed by girlfriends' advice and advertising with drugs - the symptoms appear to be the same at first glance, they are a manifestation of completely different diseases, the treatment of which is necessary only for a qualified doctor!
