What Is Vaginal Itching – Who Does It Effect?
Vaginal itching is something most women – young and old – experience at some point or another. Itching in the vagina or abdomen is uncomfortable to experience, but rarely dangerous.
And there is certainly no reason to suffer in silence, because in almost all cases there are great, easy ways to treat the annoying itch.
How Can You Treat Vaginal Itching?
In most cases, you can treat vaginal itching with health products you can buy in Boots stores, pharmacies and even in supermarkets.
If you can start the treatment quickly after the itching starts, you can often get rid of the itching altogether fairly quickly.
Many people have probably heard the rumours that you can cure itching and burning sensations in the vagina with dairy products.
Products that contain live cultures and lactic acid, such as Yeo Valley natural yoghurt or Arla Skyr Icelandic style yoghurt are said to relieve the itching.
While the yoghurt may help in some cases where the vaginal itching is caused by bacteria, it will not help if the itching is due to a fungal infection.
A bacterial imbalance in the vagina should be treated with lactic acid bacteria, which you can receive as vaginal capsules in the pharmacy instead of applying yoghurt.
However, fungus must be treated with fungicides in the form of suppositories and creams, which you can have prescribed at the pharmacy. In addition, there are some natural remedies for fungal infections.
These can be found in Boots or healthy living stores.
Products containing tea tree oil are also known to work effectively against itching sensations.
Femigel from Australian Bodycare is a gel that relieves discomfort in intimate areas, such as itching, dryness, irritation and odours. Femigel is dermatologically and gynecologically tested in a clinical environment.
The clinical study into Femigel showed the following results:
- 100% of women who tried the product found that Femigel removes itching.
- 94% found that Femigel removes dryness.
- 94% found that Femigel eliminates irritation.
- 88% found that Femigel removes unwanted odours.
You can read more about Femigel from Australian Bodycare here.
Check with Your Doctor
If you cannot treat your itching yourself with shop bought products, consult your doctor. Your doctor will be able to take a sample from the mucous membrane within the vagina. If the itching is caused by a bacterium, you may need to be treated with antibiotics.
If, however, the itching is a fungal infection, you will usually be able to treat it with a fungicide in the form of suppositories or creams. If you do not manage to treat the itching yourself within a week, consult your doctor for an examination, as the itching may be due to a disease or something else.
Prevent Future Itches by Using the Right Products
The best thing you can do to prevent the itching from coming back is avoid using perfumed products on the nether regions.
So, do not use perfumed shower gels, talc or any other product on your genitals. Wash yourself with a mild, skin-friendly and unperfumed product that is especially formulated for washing intimate areas. Of course, it is important to wash and maintain good hygiene, but excessive washing may interfere with the natural pH balance of the vagina.
An unbalance in the vagina often causes the itches, so keep the area clean and always use a suitable, unperfumed soap.
Tight panties in a synthetic material and the use of panty inserts and tampons can also be something to avoid (if possible) if you experience recurring outbreaks of vaginal itching.
Why Do My Genitals Itch?
Most women have experienced itching on their genitals at one point or another. It’s annoying and unpleasant, but fortunately it can usually be treated.
There may be many different causes of genital itching, but the symptoms are typically the same: red and irritated skin. The itching can vary from a light itch to an absolutely horrific itch that makes it hard to focus on anything else.
Furthermore, there may be pain or burning sensations experienced during intercourse because of the irritated skin.
Most women know that fungal infections on the abdomen cause itches, and therefore most people expect vaginal itching to be due to fungus as well. This is true in many cases, but there may be other causes of vaginal itching that require different types of treatment.
The most common causes of itching in the vagina:
Fungal infections from the fungus candida albicans is called candida fungus. The opening of your vagina will become red and inflamed, and there may also be a smelly discharge. The more you touch the area, the worse it becomes, and the itchy area can become sore and painful in the abdomen.
Bacteria and fungi occur naturally in the vagina, like on the rest of the body. But usually their levels are kept down by the natural bacteria in the vagina, which creates an acidic environment that the fungi can’t thrive in.
However, the fungi can grow when the natural balance of the vagina is disturbed, for example due to excessive abdominal hygiene (washing with perfumed products), antibiotic treatment or hormone changes. Diabetes, impaired immune system, stress and use of contraceptives can also in some cases change the balance between fungi and bacteria and thus causing vaginal itching.
Bacterial vaginosis, also called bacterial imbalance, is a bacterial infection due to an overproduction of the normal organisms and bacteria that thrive in the vagina. The vagina tightens and there may be a smelly discharge. The most common bacterium is Gardnerella vaginalis.
Contact dermatitis in or around the vagina may be due to allergies. You may be allergic to certain substances that the skin has been in contact with. For example, you may have used a perfumed body spray or shower gel that you have used in the area. Or, it could be a new detergent that your skin cannot tolerate.
Therefore, you should completely avoid using perfumed products in the area, including perfumed toilet paper, body spray and perfumed tampons. You can also switch to a detergent especially for sensitive and allergy-prone skin.
Dryness of the vagina. When the vagina is dry, the skin may become irritated and it may lead to itching. Dryness of the vagina is seen especially in menopausal women, where hormone changes mean that the mucous membrane dries out. This symptom is best solved with an internal cream to moisten the vagina.
Some sexually transmitted diseases can cause itching in the vagina. This includes herpes, chlamydia and genital warts (condylomas). Sexually transmitted diseases should be treated by a doctor, following which, the itch will dissipate.
Itching in The Vagina After Intercourse
Some women experience sudden itchiness after intercourse. This could be caused by several different problems. Dryness of the vagina may cause itching or pain in the vagina after intercourse. If you have a fungal infection, you may also notice that the itching becomes worse after intercourse.
Finally, sperm can sometimes cause an allergic reaction in the form of itching. The cause of itching can also be a sexually transmitted disease. If you experience symptoms such as itching, stinging or anything else, and find non-medical remedies to be ineffective, consult your doctor.
It could be a sexually transmitted disease, and therefore needs to be treated differently. It is important that you are treated so that you do not infect others.
If you have problems with itching after intercourse, we recommend using Intimate Glide from Australian Bodycare. When using this lubricant during sexual intercourse, you relieve the itching and irritation that you would usually experience afterwards.
Itching in Pregnancy
The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy which can lead to vaginal itching. Itching of the abdomen and vagina may be one of the changes you experience. In most cases, it is due to the vaginal mucus that has occurred due to the hormonal changes that happen in the body during pregnancy.
Fungal infections are harmless to pregnant women, but they must be treated before giving birth. You can treat yourself with a fungicide, but if it does not work within a week, you should be examined by your doctor who can find a treatment that can cure the itching.
