More than a quarter of women (26%) experience feminine itching, irritation or burning, according to a recent survey for the Vagisil Women's Health CenterSM. But, not all "itches" are the same and what feels "normal" to one woman may be considered agony to another. Feminine itch, pain, irritation and burning can be a symptom of many things, ranging from common skin conditions or irritations from everyday sources, such as soaps or tight-fitting clothes, to infection from fungi (yeast) or bacteria. What is true of most feminine itching, irritation and sometimes, even pain, however, is that these symptoms can be relieved, once the cause is determined.
Here are some skin conditions and causes of feminine itch that women should be aware of:
Leading cause of vaginal complaints in the U.S., but not a cause of pain.
Symptoms: Symptoms vary, but typical symptoms include an unpleasant, fish"like vaginal odor and excessive vaginal discharge that is thin and grayish in color.
Causes: The causes are not understood; it is associated with sexual activity and is triggered by a loss of the protective acid-producing bacteria found in the vagina, known as lactobacilli.
Treatment: Depending on the patient preference, there are two antibiotics available that can be taken orally or as a vaginal cream. Only a clinician can positively identify BV.
Considered the most common cause of painful intercourse.Two types:
- Primary: Pain that is always evident since first sexual encounter or attempt to use a tampon.
- Secondary: Pain develops as a result of prolonged inflammation (yeast infections, etc.).
Symptoms: Pain, irritation and discomfort that occurs with any kind of touch specific to the vestibule, the area between the thin inner lips (labia minora) of the vulva; putting in a tampon may hurt and sex may be uncomfortable (dyspareunia). Tight clothing, washing and wiping may cause pain, as may some sports, such as biking.
Causes: For primary VBD, the actual trigger is still unclear. For secondary VBD, different sources of inflammation are being looked at, ranging from persistent yeast infection, allergy, chemical exposure or low estrogen. None is established yet.
Treatment: Primary can sometimes be treated medically or through surgery.
Secondary is often controlled with medications, but various types may need to be tried.
Seek out the help of an experienced vulvovaginal clinician – not all gynecologists have this specialty.
According to Dr. Stewart, upwards of 14 million women may suffer from vulvodynia during their lifetime. These women have a burning discomfort most or all of the time. Typically occurs in postmenopausal women who are not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but also seen in younger women.
Symptoms: Differs from vestibulodynia in that the pain is not limited to the vestibule and the pain/irritation can hurt anywhere from the pubic bone to the anus, even down the thigh; pain may be on one or both sides, may be widespread and diffuse or just in one spot; can seem like a vague rawness or itching-burning sensation; may be accompanied by increased discharge.
Causes: Cause is undetermined but may be a result of injury to the pudendal nerve as a result of a bulging vertebral disc, surgical trauma, orthopedic injury, sports trauma, childbirth, herpes virus or as a part of some diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic disease in which white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands.
Treatment: Eliminate possible V irritants and use soothing V care, such as an ice pack and anesthetic ointments; medication, such as antidepressants or anticonvulsants may be prescribed to control the pain first, then gradually tapered off; women may also need to avoid triggers, such as tight clothing, excessive workouts, etc. Low estrogen may be treated with estrogen cream.
An inflammatory skin disease (has no connection to multiple sclerosis) that can occur on the vulva. It may appear as white patches sometimes with purple bruising and a thin, wrinkled appearance; the vagina is not involved.
Symptoms: The most frequent symptom of vulvar LS is itching and sometimes burning; intercourse may be painful due to scarring and cracks in the skin near the vaginal opening. Some women have no symptoms at all and intensity of the symptoms does not correlate with the appearance of the disease. Women may think they have hemorrhoids.
Causes: Science does not know the cause; it is not a disease that develops because of something done or not done; not an infection gotten or given. There is some association between LS and some autoimmune diseases and it can run in families (involves both sexes).
Treatment: Usually diagnosed with a biopsy, LS is treated with a topical steroid for approximately 12 consecutive weeks, and then managed long-term with once- or twice-weekly usage. Though not considered a precancerous condition, women with LS should have their skin checked once or twice a year due to an association with skin cancer.
New information shows that yeast is not a single condition but a spectrum of diseases, ranging from an isolated episode to unrelenting recurrence.
Symptoms: Itching that can become quite intense, sometimes accompanied by a discharge that is white in color and a consistency that ranges from watery to a thick, curd-like texture; vaginal soreness, irritation, vulvar burning, pain with intercourse and burning when urine touches the vulva are common; Some women may notice a "yeasty" smell.
Causes: Caused by a fungus, candida albicans, that often lives harmlessly and asymptomatically in the vagina, but switches to the form that causes symptoms. Risk factors include sexual activity, antibiotics and some forms of contraception. There are other possibilities, such as diet and tight-fitting clothes, but these suggestions are not supported by studies.
Treatment: There are a number of over-the-counter treatments. However, women should seek diagnosis by a doctor to determine if it is actually a YI, especially if it is the first time they have such an infection.
