Feminine Health Reviews Expert Reviews of Women's Products.
Vaginal itch is irritating as heck, and it can begin to consume your life. Pretty soon, you’re analyzing clothing in terms of what touches your irritated womanly parts and what doesn’t. You bemoan sitting, standing, or just being in public places for any length of time and relish trips to the bathroom where you can alleviate your discomfort in private.
The good news is that vaginal itch and irritation is almost always “diagnosable” (although it by no means indicates you have a medical problem) and treatable. If you have persistent or unusual vaginal itching or irritation, please visit your OB/GYN or midwife to figure out what’s going on.
If you’re currently suffering from vaginal itch, our guess is that it is from one of the following common causes. While you don’t have to see your OB/GYN at first, if a week or two goes by without any relief, we recommend you make an appointment with a list of your “already tried that” solutions in hand.
Don’t just assume you have a yeast infection! Did you know that your vagina is laden with billions of living organisms? Yes! In the medical world, we’ll even say “vaginal flora,” meaning “vaginal plants,” to refer to the bacteria, yeast and other microbes that take up residence there. When you are healthy and all systems are in balance, these microorganisms are hardly noticeable. However, when things get out of whack – vaginal itching is one of the first signs.
Bacterial vaginosis – one of the most common causes of vaginal itch and discomfort – occurs when the “bad” bacteria outnumber the “good.” If you have a healthy immune system and a small case, it may go away on its own. If it progresses, you may need antibiotics.
It can be caused by any number of things, such as a new sexual partner (it’s no reflection on him, just an introduction of foreign bacteria to your nether-regions), stress, a compromised immune system or the introduction of a foreign bacteria from any number of sources. If you try over-the-counter remedies that aren’t effective in the timeframe the instructions indicate, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Yeast, Candida albicans, are a part of that aforementioned vaginal flora. They can bloom out of control when there aren’t enough bacteria to keep them in check. Symptoms of a yeast infection are a little different than symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. For one thing, your vaginal odor won’t change much at all – unless you are able to detect the slightly yeasty scent (think beer or bread dough) of your discharge.
