Treating vulvodynia, the 'vaginal depression' which makes the vagina painful

If you've seen the television series Sex and The City and seen a scene of a woman complaining of a problem in her reproductive organs, then the doctor said that her vagina was depressed. Surely you are curious, the term doctors use in the series is there or not in the medical world. Come on, find out the truth about vaginal depression in this article.

The truth is vulvodynia is not vaginal depression

In medical terms, vaginal depression certainly doesn't exist, but the symptoms experienced by one of the characters in the series are actually known as vulvodynia. What is vulvodynia? Vulvodynia is when your vagina has a chronic painful condition that just comes on, and can last for a long time. Vulvodynia is first characterized by several symptoms such as burning, stinging, itching, throbbing, swelling, and pain which is often described as being very painful.

Many women who experience vulvodynia have a history of treatment for recurrent yeast infection or vaginitis. Some women with the condition sometimes have a history of sexual abuse. It is important to note, vulvodynia is not contagious during sexual intercourse nor is it a symptom of cancer. The pain you experience can be constant (continuous) or come and go and can last for months or even years.

But it can also disappear as suddenly as it started. A person with vulvodynia may feel pain in the vulva area, or it may be localized to a specific area, such as the vaginal entrance. Similar conditions, such as vulvar vestibulitis, can cause pain only when pressure is applied to the area around the vaginal entrance. The vulvar tissue may appear inflamed or swollen, or sometimes it may appear normal.

How to treat vulvodynia?

If you feel that your vagina is experiencing the symptoms that have been mentioned, do not panic or take antidepressant drugs carelessly because you believe in the term vaginal depression. How to treat vulvodynia usually focuses on relieving the symptoms. Each woman who experiences vulvodynia has a different treatment.

This treatment is usually the best combination treatment. Vulvodynia treatment can take weeks or even months to provide treatment for the symptoms of volvodynia. So, how to treat vulvodynia that is recommended by the medical? Here are the treatment options.

1. Medicines

If the symptoms you complain of are vulvodynia, your doctor will usually prescribe you a tricyclic antidepressant or anticonvulsant that can help reduce chronic pain in your vagina. Antihistamines will also be prescribed to reduce vaginal itching.

2. Biofeedback therapy

This therapy can help reduce pain by teaching vulvodynia patients to control specific body responses. The purpose of biofeedback is to help you relax and thus reduce the sensation of pain. To treat vulvodynia, biofeedback is useful for relaxing the pelvic muscles, which can contract in anticipation of pain and actually cause chronic pain.

3. Local anesthesia

Medicines, such as lidocaine ointment can provide "temporary relief" to relieve symptoms. Your doctor may recommend using lidocaine 30 minutes before sexual intercourse to reduce discomfort. If using lidocaine ointment, partners may also experience temporary numbness after sexual contact.

4. Nerve block

Women who have been experiencing pain due to vulvodynia for a long time and are not responding to other medications will usually be given a local nerve block injection.

5. Pelvic floor therapy

Many women with vulvodynia have problems with the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that support the uterus, bladder, and intestines. Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles can help relieve vulvodynia pain.

6. Operations

If in cases where the affected area involves a small area (local vulvodynia, vulvar vestibulitis), surgery to remove the affected skin and tissue may reduce pain in some women. This surgical procedure is known as a vestibulectomy.

It is better if you experience symptoms of vulvodynia, consult a doctor immediately so that unwanted things do not occur. Your doctor will tell you how to treat your vulvodynia in the right way.