Health & Living: Information on Living a Healthy Lifestyle
What Is Vaginal Itching? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment And Prevention
The treatment of vaginal itching depends on what's causing it, says Dr. Gelman-Nisanov.
In some cases, vaginal itching can be treated at home before seeing a doctor. "If the itching is external on the vulva, one can take a mirror and look at the external genitalia and see if there are any lesions or changes," says Dr. Bovone. If there aren't any, she recommends stopping any recent changes in soap or detergents to see if that may be the cause.
A doctor may recommend trying some over-the-counter (OTC) products. Dr. Bovone recommends OTC antifungal (yeast) products, saying, "Many will come with intravaginal medication as well as a cream to use externally." She also suggests trying OTC hydrocortisone, which is a low potency steroid, and only using it externally.
Once an actual diagnosis is made, treatment can vary. According to Dr. Bovone, treatments can include:
If you're experiencing vaginal itching, Dr. Gelman-Nisanov recommends avoiding the following so that you don't make the itching worse:
Gay Influencer Is Livid For Having To Treat The Rash On His Sweaty Abs… With Vaginal Cream?
For social media influencer Joel Wood, the only thing more irritating that the itchy skin rash on his stomach is soothing it with an ointment made specifically for vaginas.
Wood has over 80K subscribers on YouTube, 400K TikTok followers and more than 155K on Instagram. He's also the boyfriend of former British rugby player Keegan Hirst.
Wood shared the woes of his skin calamity in a video where he explained how he suffers from a fungal infection on his belly and can only find relief using a vaginal ointment.
"I'm not sure if I should share this with you guys but I am because I'm an open book," he began his "embarrassing" rant.
After explaining that his rash is similar to thrush, Wood disclosed his latest flare up occurred on his "sweaty tummy" after doing a long hike over the weekend.
"I've come out in red spots," he said. "The only thing that gets rid of it is Canesten."
Canesten treats a broad range of fungal skin infections like ringworm, jock itch, fungal sweat rash and fungal rash and contains Clotrimazole, which is sold under the brand name Lotrimin in the US.
While it may sound like the makings of a sponsored post, he swore it was not and was motivated simply to air out his grievance for having to use the feminine product.
"I'm just telling you because Canesten is for vaginas only," he said, before holding up the box and adding, "How do I know this? Because on the back it says for use in and round the vagina only."
Now Wood's issue is less with using a vaginal cream, and more with having to ask for a vaginal cream at the pharmacy. Although he does make the whole situation even more awkward by how he inquires about it at the store.
"I'm sick of going to the counter and saying 'Can I have some vaginal cream? It's for my mom.' That's weird!" he said.
Even after realizing he can make it less nerve-wracking by saying it's for anyone other than his mother, Wood implores the development of a remedy that has a more universal appeal.
"They should invent a cream that's called for a red spotty, sweaty tummy cream," he continued. "I'm sick of using internal and external vaginal cream."
While the entire rant was obviously made to get laughs from his audience, many offered up solutions to his anxiety-provoking situation.
"You don't have to explain your purchase to the person at the store!" wrote one follower.
"You can grab any over the counter preparation that contains Clotrimazole – often marketed as anti-fungal cream (and does not specifically say Vaginal Thrush to preserve your masculinity)," a second quipped.
"I'm just wondering how you found out that the vaginal cream worked on your tummy," a third responded.
While a fourth offered a different perspective that Wood probably never pondered.
"At least as a man you can get away with them thinking it's for a woman in your life! Women buy it and they know our vajayjay is on fire 🔥!!!! There's no saying it's for my mom."
While we hope Wood gets over his fragility over asking for the ointment, you can see more pics of him and his boyfriend being absolutely adorable via some of their best Instagram snaps below:
When Does Vaginal Discharge Become A Bigger Problem, Gynaecologist Explains
Vaginal Discharge is one of the common reasons women visit a gynaecologist. Sometimes, this can be annoying and an indication of some underlying health issue. Thus, it is important to identify whether the discharge is normal or abnormal. To know more about it, we spoke to Dr Sowmya Raghavan, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Apollo Cradle & Children's Hospital, Chennai.
Vaginal Discharge CausesAccording to Dr Raghavan, "Normal discharge should be clear, white or off-white. The consistency of the discharge changes with the time of the menstrual cycle." She highlighted that it is thin and watery around the time of ovulation and becomes thicker for a few days before menstruation.
"This is due to changes in hormone levels at different stages of the menstrual cycle. The discharge is considered abnormal only when the discharge is profuse and there is a change in colour, consistency, or odour," she added.
"Non-infectious causes of discharge include a foreign object inside the vagina, such as a forgotten tampon, intrauterine devices, or sex toys," said Dr Raghavan. She added that the use of detergent, soaps, lubricants, and vaginal cleansers, could cause an allergic reaction and cause discharge. The use of antibiotics also weakens the protective bacteria and leads to infection and discharge.
Also Read: Is White Discharge Everyday Normal? Doctor Explains
"In pre-pubertal girls and menopausal women, low oestrogen levels cause the protective vaginal bacteria to be low which leads to the growth of other harmful bacteria which might cause discharge and irritation," said the doctor.
When Does Vaginal Discharge Become Concerning?"Dark yellow, brown, green or grey discharge may indicate vaginal infection or Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)," said Dr Raghavan. She said that while normal discharge may have a mild odour, any fishy or foul-smelling discharge could indicate a vaginal infection.
STIs, such as trichomoniasis, Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and genital herpes may cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), symptoms of which include severe abdominal pain, fever, and painful intercourse.
A study published in the journal Singapore Medical Journal stated that among all cases, 70% are linked to BV, vulvovaginal candidiasis, or trichomoniasis. Among these three mentioned causes, BV stands out as the most prevalent, contributing to as much as 50% of all infections.
"PID should be immediately treated because of long-term implications, such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic adhesions and chronic pelvic pain," said Dr Raghavan.
She highlighted that some people produce more discharge than others due to certain conditions like pregnancy or taking birth control pills. "Brown or red discharge can mean irregular menstruation, endometrial polyp, fibroids, pregnancy-related bleeding and in pre or post-menopausal stages," she added.
Also Read: What Is Excessive Vaginal Discharge? Expert Explains Tips To Prevent It
Dr Raghavan said that the discharge could sometimes indicate a precancerous or cancerous discharge from the vagina, cervix, and uterus. "Thick, chunky discharge and itchiness around the genitals denote yeast infection," she added.
"During pregnancy, BV is associated with late miscarriages, preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, and uterine infection after delivery," said Dr Raghavan.
"In women with altered or less immunity, the infection has a possibility to spread into the bloodstream and cause septicemia (sepsis), which requires aggressive treatment," she added.
Dr Raghavan concluded that not all vaginal discharges are abnormal and identifying the cause would help to effectively treat them.
[Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Consult your healthcare provider to get a thorough diagnosis and treatment as per your health needs.]
Image Credits: freepik
Comments
Post a Comment