Vaginal Itching: Causes, Complications, Diagnosis, And More

What is Vaginal Itching?

Itching or irritation in any part of the body can be troublesome and discomforting to a great extent. When this itching takes place in the vagina, it is an even more uncomfortable and painful condition for women. The problem lies in vaginal discharge. Sometimes, its color, odor, and consistency play a vital role in determining the cause and treatment of vaginal itching.

What Causes Vaginal Itching?

It is always a good place to start to know the causes behind the problematic condition. This way, you can predict a direction to work on and get appropriate treatment. There can be many causes for vaginal itching. Some leading causes are listed in the given points.

Irritants

Scented soaps and vaginal products can act as irritants to the vagina and become the leading cause of vaginal itching. They can cause an itchy rash in the pubic region as well as other parts of the body. Following chemical products can trigger allergic reactions in the vaginal area:

1. Ointments 
2. Creams
3. Bubble Baths
4. Scented toilet papers
5. Detergents
6. Topical softeners

Skin Diseases

Many people suffer from skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. Eczema is ectopic dermatitis that causes itchy rashes in the vagina and other parts of the body. People with asthma and other allergies suffer from this infection. Psoriasis is a condition that is responsible for causing itchy patches in scalps and joints in women. Sometimes, patches are observed in the vaginal areas. Some other vaginal infections are Trichomonas, Candida, Atrophic, Bacterial infections, etc.

Yeast Infections

Women need to take antibiotics at some or other point of time in life. These antibiotic medications are responsible for rising unwanted yeast in the vaginal region. The fungus grown there causes itching, redness, and irritation.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition in which bad bacteria grows in the cervical region in excessive amounts. It is a severe condition that causes redness in the vaginal area in women. Generally, it does not exhibit any significant symptoms, but when it starts highlighting, it makes the discharge relatively thinner and changes its color to pale white or grey. In some cases, the discharge becomes foamy. 

Vulvar Cancer

Vaginal or Vulvar cancer causes itching, irritation, and redness in the vaginal region. It develops in the external portion of the female genitals including the clitoris, vagina, and its opening. If you are a cancer survivor, then you must take some home remedy or medication after consulting your doctor about the same.  It needs to be eliminated with the help of surgical methods.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

During intercourse, the people involved getting to exchange many things. Some diseases or infections may also get transmitted during intercourse. A few diseases and infections have been accommodated in the given points:

1. Genital herpes
2. Trichomoniasis
3. Genital warts
4. Chlamydia
5. Gonorrhea
6. Syphilis

It is always a good move to wash the genital area after sexual contact to keep up the hygiene.

Stress

Stress is also one of the leading causes of vaginal itching. Some hormones generate in the female body boost the quantity of vaginal discharge. When it gets collected, it causes itching in the pubic region. These hormones can also generate as a result of prolonged medication or excessive use of antibiotics.

Menopause

When a female moves towards her late 40s or early 50s, she has to bear with a lot of things as her menopause is approaching. Getting through the effects of menopause is even more difficult than getting along with the menstrual cycle. One of the impacts of Menopause is itching in the genital or vaginal area.

Diabetes

When you know that you are suffering from diabetes, then you must prepare yourself for other things that come along with it. Vaginal itching is One of those things that come along with diabetes. All you can do to prevent yourself from the worst is to keep the hygiene and consult a doctor if the situation keeps on worsening.

There are many other causes of vaginal itching. A few of them are:

1. Allergic reaction
2. Latex condoms
3. Genital herpes
4. Pubic Lice

These are the things that cause vaginal itching. Once you find yourself in any of the conditions mentioned above, you must consult your doctor immediately. He will study your case and prescribe you the best possible medicines.

Who Experiences Vaginal Itching?

Vaginal itching can be observed in children and women of all age groups:

Children

It is common to see vaginal itching in children. It may occur due to a lot of reasons, like:

1. Unhygienic behavior towards the pubic area
2. Collection of sweat in the genital area due to vigorous physical movements
3. Inflammations due to a bubble bath or use of any chemical products

Women of all age groups

Women, including female kids, can experience vaginal itching at any point of time in their lives. The primary cause of such kind of itching in women in their adolescent age is the usage of sanitary pads for a longer duration. For women in the reproductive age, the reason can be Sexually transmitted infections or diseases.

What are the complications that occur due to vaginal itching?

Prolonged itching and irritation at any part of the body can bring many complications along with it. The most problematic complications occur when the reason behind vaginal itching is Sexually transmitted active infection. Here is a list of all the complications that may occur due to vaginal itching:

1. If the reason behind vaginal itching is trichomoniasis, then the complication can be severe inflammation in the vaginal for the genital tract of the female reproductive system. Due to such information during pregnancy, a woman may have to go through premature delivery or low birth weight of the baby.
2. When there are signs of lichen sclerosis, then it may result in vaginal cancer and ultimately the death of the patient.
3. When a person suffers from gonorrhea and does not get treatment in time, then there are chances of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
4. If a person does not get appropriate treatment for chlamydia, then there are chances of ectopic pregnancy in the person.

How is vaginal itching diagnosed as a serious problem?

At first, when you visit a doctor, he examines the genital area of a female and asks a few questions about the symptoms of the same. Once he gets to know the complete medical history, he decides the suitable medication to be given to the patient and the duration of the same. The doctor may also ask about the sexual activity in the past so that he can diagnose the cause more efficiently. 

What can a person expect in the first visit to the doctor?

During the physical diagnosis of vaginal itching, a doctor may need to examine the pelvic region physically by inserting a gloved finger inside the vagina. The sole reason behind doing this check for any abnormalities in the reproductive organs. 

Once the patient follows the medication and other instructions that the doctor prescribes, the issue gets resolved easily. 

How is vaginal itching treated?

Both medication and self-care contribute to the treatment of vaginal itching. Sometimes, it gets cleared on its own if you continue maintaining personal hygiene. There are multiple ways in which it can be treated. Know that the treatment entirely depends upon the cause of itching.

• If the yeast infection is the reason behind the vaginal itching, then after the diagnosis of the pelvic region, a doctor will prescribe you some antifungal medication. Also, he will assist you with some tips to follow to maintain personal hygiene.
• If the cause is bacterial vaginosis, then the doctor prescribes antibiotics to kill the bacteria and make it a hygienic place. The doctor may also prescribe some oral creams to apply to the infected region.
• If the cause is sexually transmitted diseases or infections, the doctor will tell you to have antibiotics, accompanied by antivirals or anti-parasitics. Also, the doctor will inform you not to get involved in any kind of sexual activity till the infection clears. 
• If the cause is menopause, then the doctor will prescribe you some tablets and other medication to get rid of itching.

These are all the possible treatments of vaginal itching that a doctor may prescribe you once you visit him.

Are there any home remedies to treat vaginal itching?

There are home remedies for almost everything that a doctor treats using surgical methods. Likewise, there are certain home remedies that a person can use to treat vaginal itching:

1. Avoid using scented pads, creams, appointments, bubble baths, and other feminine chemical products.
2. Use a bar of unscented or herbal soap to clean the genital area once a day. Make sure you do not do it more than once to prevent vaginal dryness.
3. Always prefer to wear cotton undergarments. Make sure you change them daily in order to avoid any kind of infection in the genital area.
4. Till the time a baby continues to wear a diaper, a mother should make sure that she changes it frequently to avoid any inflammation or infection.
5. During sexual intercourse, always prefer using a condom. This will help females to avoid the development of any kind of sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
6. If you are suffering from vaginal dryness, then you must use a water-based lubricant before having sex.
7. If it is unbearable to get along with the itching and irritation, you can try a talcum powder. Make sure that you do not end up scratching the area as it can result in being more irritating and uncomfortable.
8. If you are overweight or having broad thighs, then you must prefer to practice some exercises to burn the fat off your thighs. It will help you avoid sweating and rigorous collision between the thighs. 
9. While going for a vaginal wax or hair removal, make sure that you leave some pubic hair so as to absorb the moisture in the pelvic region and decrease the chances of any itchy patch there.

These are all the preventive measures that females can use if they want to get rid of vaginal irritation and itching.

Conclusion

Personal hygiene is one of the most important things that people, especially girls should follow. It plays a major role in our well-being. Once you find anything fishy going on with your private parts, you must consult your doctor immediately. A piece of expert advice and a few suitable medicines are all you need to get rid of the problem. 

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