11 Causes of vaginal itching are often underestimated

It must be embarrassing to have to scratch an itch down therewhen in a crowd. Especially if the itching attack comes suddenly, and you also don't know what caused it. Wait. There are many causes for vaginal itching that are quite trivial, such as excessive sweating or friction with the fabric of your underwear. However, pubic itching may also be a sign of a more serious problem. Vaginal infections, for example.

You can find out what are the possible causes of vaginal itching in this article. Even so, you still need to consult a doctor to get the right diagnosis and treatment. Because if you carelessly guess the cause and try any kind of medicine, you are at risk of developing other, more serious health problems.

What are the causes of vaginal itching?

Here are various things that cause vaginal itching, from the common to the most dangerous:

1. 'Accident' while shaving

Immediately after shaving, the vaginal skin will feel smooth and clean. However, when pubic hair grows back, it's very likely that you will feel itchy.

Also, be careful when choosing the shaver. The skin of the vagina and groin area is very sensitive. When your razor is not clean or your way of shaving is wrong, it can cause vaginal skin to become red and itchy. It may also feel hot as if it is burning.

How to fix it: do not completely shave pubic hair. Trim only the ends of the hair a little and leave a few centimeters. Choose a razor that matches the best quality. Alternatively, you can try the method bikini wax so as not to itch afterward.

After shaving or waxing, apply a hypoallergenic cream or lotion to protect the vaginal skin. Ask a friend or shop assistant for a recommendation to choose the right product.

2. Bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal itching. BV is caused by inflammation from a bacterial infection that changes the pH in the vagina. Sex without a condom and routine vaginal cleaning with douching can increase your risk of getting BV.

This condition can be experienced by women of all ages, but most often affects women of childbearing age.

Apart from vaginal itching, this infection is also characterized by various symptoms such as:

• Whitish with a more fluid texture and a gray, white, or green color
• The vagina smells fishy or foul
• Vaginal itching
• Burning feeling when urinating

How to fix it: doctors usually prescribe antibiotics in the form of pills, creams, or capsules (called ovules) that are inserted into the vagina. If you are pregnant, your doctor will prescribe a pill antibiotic.

BV usually subsides within 2-3 days of being treated with antibiotics. However, the length of treatment can last as long as 7 days.

Do not stop using the drug until the prescription has expired. Even if you feel better already. Make sure to obey the rules of use and the duration of using the dose.

2. Fungal infection

Three out of 4 women in the world have experienced vaginal yeast infection at least once in their life.

Yeast infection occurs when the yeast Candida albicans, which lives naturally in the vagina, actually grows wild. There are also factors that can increase your risk of getting a vaginal yeast infection, namely hormonal changes during pregnancy, sexual intercourse, consumption of antibiotics, and decreased endurance.

In addition to vaginal itching, Candidiasis infection is also a cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in the form of thick, milky white mucus.

How to fix it: Mild fungal infections can still be treated with non-prescription antifungal creams. However, it's good to keep consulting your doctor before rushing to buy drugs at the pharmacy.

To avoid recurring infections, your doctor may recommend a medication containing high doses of the probiotic acidophillus to curb yeast growth.

3. Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a type of skin irritation caused by an allergy to chemicals in certain products.

So if your skin is very sensitive to the ingredients or ingredients that make condoms, sex lubricants, shampoo and soap, fabric softeners, scented wet wipes, douche, to laundry detergents, the vagina will be prone to itching.

Apart from itching, contact dermatitis is also the cause of the vaginal skin to become red and eventually thicken hard.

How to fix it: the appearance of contact dermatitis symptoms can be prevented and overcome by avoiding the triggers. If you know your skin is sensitive and prone to irritation, use body care products hypoallergenic.

Also, avoid shaving and use vaginal douches. Simply rinse or flush the vagina from front to back with clean water each time you clean it. Then, dry it well.

Even if the itching is unbearable, never scratch it. Scratching your vagina will actually make it itchier and eventually hurt.

4. Eczema

Eczema is a skin disease that can also cause vaginal itching and redness.

So if you have eczema and experience vaginal itching, it's a good idea to see a doctor. It could be that your eczema has spread to the area around the genitals.

In addition to vaginal itching, eczema can be characterized by:

• Dry skin
• Unbearable itching especially at night
• Small bumps that are often watery when scratched
• Grayish or brownish red patches, especially on the hands, feet, ankles, wrists
• Thickened, scaly skin
• The skin becomes sensitive and swollen from scratching

Eczema in the area around the vagina requires special medication. Therefore, consult a dermatologist and genitalia specialist to get the right treatment.

5. Psoriasis

Reporting from the National Psoriasis Foundation page, psoriasis symptoms can attack the skin of the vulva. Especially in the form of plaque or inverse (inverted). That is, psoriasis symptoms can develop in the tissues in the vagina. This is the cause of vaginal itching that appears from within.

This type of psoriasis can usually be recognized by recognizing the following symptoms:

• Smooth red skin that is not scaly but looks like it is tightened
• Thick patches of skin with scaly dead skin cells that are silvery or white in color
• Quite severe itching on the affected skin area
• Pain in the affected skin area

How to fix it: Compared to the type that affects the body's skin, psoriasis on the genitals is more difficult to treat. This is because the genital skin area is more sensitive so it needs the right medicine with special considerations. Topical drugs are usually most often used to treat the causes of this one vaginal itching.

6. Venereal disease

Of the many types, chlamydia, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, and gonorrhea are some of the venereal diseases that cause vaginal itching.

Common venereal disease transmitted through sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, anal) without a condom. In addition, the habit of having multiple sex partners and being sexually active from under the age of 25 can increase your risk.

In women, the most typical symptoms of venereal disease are vaginal itching, pain, and burning sensation. Unfortunately because these vaginal problems are so common, the symptoms of venereal disease in women are often confused with other common problems.

Watch out if you experience vaginal itching that is followed by other classic symptoms of venereal disease, such as painful urination, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, and pain during sex. Immediately contact a doctor.

Before you can confirm that you have tested positive, your doctor may recommend that you do a venereal disease test. Especially if you are a high-risk group.

The fix: If you test positive for venereal disease, your doctor can prescribe you an antibiotic or antiviral medication (taking or injecting it) depending on the cause.

7. Menopause

Whenever your estrogen hormone fluctuates, it is likely that one of the effects you feel is vaginal itching. Menstruation, pregnancy, using birth control pills, or menopause can all be causes of vaginal itching at any time.

Especially during menopause, estrogen levels will drop dramatically which then causes the vaginal walls to dry out and thin out. The combination of these conditions is one of the causes of vaginal itching so that you keep wanting to scratch it.

How to fix it: the doctor will usually prescribe a hormonal cream that you can apply directly to the problem area. However, you can also ask to switch to the pill version if the itching doesn't go away.

8. Lichen sclerosus

Lichen sclerosus is a rare and serious condition that causes white patches on the skin, especially around the vulva. This condition is most likely to be found in women after menopause. When a person has this disease, the area of ​​the skin around the vagina will feel very itchy.

White patches can appear suddenly on the skin, but experts think that hormones or an overactive immune system may trigger them.

White patches from lichen sclerosus can become permanent sores around the vagina. Lichen sclerosis needs to be diagnosed by an obstetrician and can be treated with prescription drugs.

9. Pubic lice

In fact, lice can appear not only on the hair of the head but also on the genitals. Just like head lice, pubic lice also make the area around the vagina unbearably itchy.

Itching occurs due to the bite of lice onto the genital skin and the presence of nits on the skin, causing irritation.

The main route of transmission of genital lice is sex. However, sharing or borrowing and borrowing personal items such as towels and underwear can also spread fleas. Likewise, if you sleep together on dirty and lice sheets.

How to fix it: to get rid of the cause of vaginal itching, the doctor will give you a permethrin cream to help kill the lice.

However, of course prevention is better than cure. In order to avoid pubic lice, it is better not to stay in hotels that are not kept clean and exchange underwear even with family members.

10. Stress

Stress is one of the most unrecognized causes of vaginal itching. The reason is, stress is said to weaken a person's immune system.

When the immune system weakens, the body automatically cannot function optimally. In fact, the immune system or immune system plays an important role in preventing infection. One of them is a bacterial infection of the vagina.

11. Vulvar cancer

Although very rare, vulvar cancer is a disease that can be the main cause of vaginal itching. This cancer is also characterized by bleeding outside the menstrual cycle and pain around the vulva.

This condition is treatable as long as it is diagnosed early and given early treatment.

How to fix it: the cause of vaginal itching can only be eradicated through surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy or a combination thereof. So, when the disease is treated appropriately, the symptoms that accompany it will slowly disappear.

When to see a doctor

When viewed from the cause, an itchy vagina is not always a sign of serious problems. Even so, do not hesitate to immediately see a doctor when the itching is no longer normal. You also need to be careful and sensitive to the changes that occur. The reason is, this itching usually appears only as a symptom of the main disease.

Your doctor can determine what is causing your itching through certain examinations and tests. After that, then the doctor will recommend the right treatment according to the condition.

The following are various signs and symptoms that make you need to go to the doctor immediately, namely:

• The itching doesn't go away even though it's been more than a week
• Pain in the chin area
• Redness or swelling in the genital area
• Difficulty urinating
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Pain during sex
• The appearance of ulcers or blisters on the vulva

Symptoms and causes of vaginal itching usually differ from woman to woman. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor if you experience various other symptoms that are not mentioned.

The doctor will usually perform a pelvic exam and take a sample of vaginal fluid to find out the source of the problem. Other tests will also be done if needed to determine the underlying cause.

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