There could be several causes for itching in vagina, some of which could be quite innocuous, but some may need attention and treatment. Read on to see what causes of itching of the vagina or the vulvar region you can treat with home remedies and which you will need medical treatment for:
Your Personal Hygiene Products
At times it is just chemical irritants that are at the bottom of itching in vagina. Soaps, bubble bath, clothing detergents, douches even scented toilet paper could be causing the problem. Even condoms or spermicides, contraceptive foams, sponges and so on can cause such irritation. Try using unscented and uncolored products, or try changing the brand of the product you use to see if the problem can be solved.
Yeast Imbalance or Infection
Typically a host of bacteria reside in the vaginal and vulvar area and a balance between the friendly and unfriendly variety is maintained by the body’s immune system.
However, sometimes this balance is disturbed due to antibiotic medications, birth control pills, the time of month, and even sex. If a woman is pregnant or is immune compromised for some other reason she may also experience itching in vagina.
Most of these causes may resolve by themselves over time, or they can be resolved using home remedies such as eating yoghurt with live bacteria (probiotics) and improving sexual and overall hygiene. Wearing lose, breathable clothing made from natural materials can help.
If you think sweat or wet clothing may be aggravating the vaginal itching be sure to change out of sweaty clothes and wet bathing suits promptly. Keeping the genital area dry and clean is important to avoid proliferation of the harmful bacteria.
Menopause and Other Hormonal Disruptions
The lowering of estrogen that comes at the time of menopause or even earlier can cause a thinning of the skin in the vaginal area, lowering lubrication and making the skin more prone to irritation and itching. Using vaginal lubricants, particularly during sexual intercourse can help control itching in vagina and around the area.
Infections and Other Conditions
Those who have diabetes may find that the bacterial balance of the vaginal area is frequently disturbed. So blood sugar control is vital for a number of bodily functions including good vaginal health.
Sexually transmitted diseases as well as others such as vaginitis could be the cause of vaginal itching. Parasitic infections such as pin worms could also cause itching in vagina. The cause of the itching; that is the underlying infection must be treated to help resolve the issue of itching as well. This could include topical creams, antibiotics and so on.
Stress is another condition that could lower a woman’s immunity and cause hormonal changes that result in increased vaginal itching. So this is another one of the myriad reasons why it is important for women to keep stress under control.
In some rare cases, the cause for itching in vagina could be due to vulvar cancer or a precancerous state of the disease.
