Irritation on the labia: redness and itching of the labia majora and minora

Redness and itching in the intimate area is a problem that many women face. In this case, it is very important to find out why the rash appeared, or the vagina is swollen and itchy. After all, the cause may be a serious infectious disease. There is no need to panic, because the same symptoms appear even with completely harmless factors, but you should not self-medicate. Need professional diagnostics.

Why do the labia itch?

At the moment when women do pay attention to the itching that appears and understand that this is what gives them discomfort, they do not understand where it comes from. In fact, there are many explanations.

The genitals are one of the most delicate parts of the body, with typically thin skin. Unaware, many women continue to live without understanding the problem.

Reasons why the labia may itch:

Depilation. Girls choose different methods of hair removal: using a razor, using wax strips, using sugar paste, and some even choose electrolysis, which allows you to get rid of hair forever. It’s worth starting with the fact that depilation with a razor is not suitable for every woman. Firstly, this is explained by the peculiarity of the skin. After all, the skin is quite sensitive, and some women have increased sensitivity of the skin in the bikini area. Of course, if, after completing the depilation procedure, a woman feels itching of the labia, then most likely the problem is in the method of hair removal. It is necessary to choose another method of depilation, after which there will be no itching. Very often, cosmetic products contain components that cause irritation of the skin, peeling, redness, and the pubis can become swollen. As a rule, intimate hygiene gels contain components that are not suitable for all girls. After using the gel, itching occurs. It is necessary to stop using the gel, and also change it to another.
Use of contraceptives. Very often, irritation on the labia occurs due to the use of contraceptives, which cause irritation during sex. This is explained, first of all, by the composition of the contraceptive. It is necessary to change the method of protection to another.
Uncomfortable underwear. Synthetic underwear is often the choice of most girls. Today, unfortunately, stores more often offer synthetic underwear. Because of this material, the skin in the intimate area does not breathe and begins to sweat. For this reason, the skin becomes dry, which subsequently leads to itching of the labia. You need to change your underwear to cotton.
Long-term wear of pads and other products. Each girl has her own individual menstrual cycle and the duration of her critical days is different for each girl. What is all this for? Some girls are forced to wear pads or tampons for a long time, and everyday pads are also often used. This causes irritation of the labia minora and itching and internal burning in the vagina and clitoral area. First of all, it is necessary to ensure frequent changes of pads and tampons. It is not recommended to use scented pads.
Long-term treatment with antibiotics and other drugs. Many antibiotics and other medications can cause itching and burning of the labia. In this case, you should consult a doctor immediately.
A number of other reasons are also identified: diseases transmitted from a sexual partner;
leukoplakia disease;
inflammatory processes;
vulvovaginitis;
the process of development of gynecological diseases;
diabetes.

Other causes of itching in the labia area

There are other reasons that cause itching and irritation of the labia.
Such reasons are more serious and more dangerous to health if you do not promptly consult a doctor for help and treatment:

development of gynecological diseases;
development of sexually transmitted diseases;
diabetes;
various types of inflammatory processes;
pregnancy (thrush may occur, with white discharge, vaginal dryness and itching).

In case of diagnosis of diseases, the help of a doctor is necessary. To eliminate the discomfort, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment that relieves the patient of the disease.

Prerequisites for the phenomenon

Genital itching can tell about a huge number of problems in a woman’s body, including diseases of the genital area. But the prerequisites for such manifestation are very diverse. First, let's look at personal reasons that specifically depend on the person and can be eliminated even before such a medical picture arises, if you know about them.

First, healing with certain products is uncontrolled, without the help of others, unreasonable or inadequate. This group includes drugs that act on the microflora of the whole body (medicines, sulfonamides and some others). Very often, ladies resort to their far-fetched “help”, based on past experiences of healing that were once prescribed by a doctor. But even with the same disease, a person can be cured by different means at different periods of a person’s life. This must be taken into account and contact a specialist as soon as possible.
Introduction of low-quality or inappropriate personal hygiene products. This includes toilet paper, sanitary pads, both for critical days and for everyday use. If the introduction of pads during menstruation is not under consideration, then “daily pads” are a tragedy for the female body, in the opinion of all gynecologists without exception. Especially if you change them less often than once every two hours. An environment suitable in all respects is created for the development of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora. Also, these products, especially those with fragrances and impregnations, may cause allergic reactions.
Allergy to contraceptives, mostly condoms. They are coated with a special lubricant, which can cause both irritation and a more severe reaction from the body.
Tight synthetic underwear creates a “greenhouse effect” and bacteria “stand up and give a standing ovation” to such careful treatment of them. The result is itching on the labia.
Frequent changes of sexual partners lead to disruption of the vaginal microflora, which becomes a prerequisite for discomfort. You can also note hard sex, during which microtraumas of the mucous membranes of the genital organs are likely, both inside and outside.
Non-compliance or excessive compliance with genital hygiene. The Polish proverb is fully at work here: “If it’s too much, it’s not healthy.” Both the rarest hygiene procedures and the very frequent ones with the introduction of brutal products for intimate areas (which structurally affect the pH of the skin) lead to an imbalance of microflora.
Depilation of the deepest bikini area. The method and location of the procedure is not particularly important. Personal characteristics of the body, skin sensitivity, and the presence of associated causes can provoke itching, even if the manipulation was not performed for the first time.

Now let’s look at the specific reasons (although if you look at them, they can be classified as conditionally subjective, because their presence depends entirely on the adequate response to the premature manifestation of a difficulty).

changes in hormonal status (maturation period, pregnancy, menopause, certain hormonal abnormalities, long-term use of hormonal contraception);
a small amount of vaginal lubrication - can appear both due to hormonal imbalances and as a physiological feature;
contagious anomalies transmitted through sexual contact without barrier contraception, sexually transmitted diseases;
fungal and bacterial infections of the mucous membranes of the genital organs;
metabolic disorders, weakened immunity;
stressful situations that occur frequently or a long stay in a state of mental overstrain, prolonged depression;
diseases of the pelvic organs, gastrointestinal tract (especially accompanied by dysbiosis);
blood diseases and oncology.

This also includes the impact of a thermal factor - overheating or hypothermia of the body, which ultimately leads to a disruption of the immune response.

What to do with such symptoms?

You need to proceed as follows:

First of all, it must be said that you should not scratch your intimate area. This can cause the formation of micro cracks through which bacteria and infection can easily penetrate, which will subsequently lead to the formation and development of inflammatory processes.
Next, it is necessary to observe the development of the symptom, and also observe the period after which itching appears. As a rule, this occurs after using cosmetics, after depilation, after contraception, or after wearing tight synthetic underwear. If the itching later stops, then you need to stop using what causes itching of the labia.
If the itching bothers you for a long time and does not go away, you should consult a doctor. This is often the cause of inflammatory processes and gynecological diseases.
In this case, the doctor prescribes a number of tests to take and also conducts an examination. Based on the results of the analysis, if infectious inflammatory processes are detected, a number of medications are prescribed that can solve the problem.

Certain periods in life

Following menopause, a woman may also experience dry labia after childbirth, first pregnancy, or after an abortion. In these situations, this condition is usually temporary. It is usually necessary to alleviate general symptoms. For local effects, no one bothers to use the already mentioned lubricants, gels, creams, ointments. But amateurism here can be fraught.

Dryness occurs periodically as a side effect of certain medications.

Usually, this is a temporary condition. Doctors usually warn about this in advance. With certain inflammatory processes affecting the vaginal mucosa, the amount of lubrication can not only increase, but also decrease.

You should pay attention to this symptom when undergoing a course of treatment for tumor diseases. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause dryness, but these effects are considered acceptable. Moreover, they can be eliminated quite easily.

Diagnostics

Diagnostics includes a number of manipulations necessary to obtain reliable information:

Diagnosis consists primarily of a visual examination by a medical specialist. If the doctor finds visible signs of any infectious or sexually transmitted disease, then the patient is urgently sent for testing.
Even if the symptoms inherent in some diseases are not detected, it is recommended to get tested. This is explained, first of all, by the fact that some inflammatory processes and sexually transmitted diseases occur without symptoms.

After taking the tests, it will be clear whether there is any disease or inflammatory processes or not. As a rule, diagnosis consists of a simple visit to the doctor, where you can quickly determine the cause of itching.

Qualified treatment

Thrush cannot be cured unless the cause of the disease is determined. Often doctors don’t want to understand this, they immediately prescribe treatment for 10 days and that’s the end of it. If the woman asks for help a month later, she will be prescribed the medicine again, but with a different name.

First of all, you need to analyze your life during the previous month. Remember all the events, your own feelings, evaluate the factors that contribute to the cause of candidiasis.

If these factors do not tend to recur, you can undergo qualified treatment and forget about candidiasis forever.
If there is a strong decrease in immunity, chronic diseases, or hormonal imbalance, thrush will return again and again until the root cause is eliminated.
Sometimes the thrush stimulator is a man. It’s just that in most of them, candidiasis is asymptomatic, but this does not prevent them from transmitting the mushrooms to their partner during sexual intercourse.

Professional preparations stop the proliferation of fungi and eliminate the consequences of their vital activity. Eliminate symptoms of thrush, normalize vaginal microflora, increase protective functions.

Itching of the genitals due to sexually transmitted diseases

Itching of the genitals can occur with sexually transmitted diseases. This has already been mentioned earlier.

Today, there are only five most common sexually transmitted diseases:

gonorrhea;
syphilis;
chancroid;
donovanosis;
lymphogranuloma.

Such diseases are dangerous for women's health. Self-medication is strictly prohibited. After all, sexually transmitted diseases can develop into a chronic form, which will not only cause a lot of problems, but also take a lot of time.

If you are diagnosed with one of the above diseases, you must follow all doctor’s prescriptions. Itching is one of the symptoms that accompanies a sexually transmitted disease. This causes discomfort and to get rid of such a problem you only need the help of a doctor and effective treatment.

The appearance of itching is explained primarily by inflammatory processes occurring in the body. Inflammatory processes can subside, and then worsen again and cause even more discomfort.

Herpes

Genital herpes often occurs in women between the ages of twenty and thirty-five.
The occurrence of such a disease depends, first of all, on how sexual activity is conducted and whether the rules of contraception are followed.

This disease has a causative agent - a virus. This virus is especially resistant to a group of unfavorable environmental factors.

Only timely diagnosis and treatment can stop the process of inflammation and further development of the disease.

The main method of transmission of this disease is contact with an infected partner. The virus can also be transmitted through hygiene items and by airborne droplets. Itching is a symptom characteristic of a severe form of the disease.

Chlamydia

This disease is an inflammatory process caused by chlamydia parasites.
Chlamydia is an intracellular parasite. The process of growth and development of such parasites takes place in the cellular tract of the genitourinary system.

Due to the presence of this type of parasite, the ends of the mucous membrane are irritated. Itching can either increase or decrease.

However, the presence of itching, as is known, is not always an indicator of a disease such as chlamydia. For an accurate diagnosis, you will also need to take a smear test.

Trichomoniasis

This disease is also one of the inflammatory diseases associated with inflammation of the genitourinary system. In the acute form of the disease, itching is one of the symptoms that accompanies a disease such as trichomoniasis.

Inguinal erythrema

This type of disease is classified as an infectious disease. A symptom of this disease is rashes on the folds of the skin.

Often in women, this disease manifests itself on the external genitalia. Active development of the disease occurs in conditions of high humidity, as well as in the absence of oxygen.

What causes the feeling of dryness

Dryness can be provoked by the wrong approach (the introduction of brutal hygiene products with a low fat content), which disrupts the natural acid-base balance. In this case, you need to pay attention to the pH level, and when selecting a specific product, take into account the advice of doctors.

Preference should be given to natural formulations with a sufficient level of vegetable fats. It may be worthwhile to wash yourself with just warm water for a while or limit yourself to general hygiene procedures until the normal state is restored. Doctors also advise being more careful about douching. It can have a depressing effect on the mucous membrane, which causes various difficulties with the release of lubricant in the future.

Doctors also recommend not having sex if the labia are dry without artificial lubrication: a similar practice can result in the formation of cracks and wounds. Therefore, here you should be as careful and prudent as possible, and stop sexual intercourse when the first symptoms of discomfort occur. Vigilance towards your own body and rational behavior can help you avoid countless problems in the future.

Causes of dry labia.

A piquant problem - dryness of the labia - can befall virtually every woman at least from time to time. A similar nasty condition often appears in women before and after menopause. But vaginal dryness, like a number of painful conditions, is becoming noticeably younger these days, which is why a similar problem often worries young ladies.

To give significance to this, not such a rare phenomenon in our latitudes, the term atrophic vaginitis was assigned to it, but it is only irritation of the vagina, which is a consequence of thinning and wrinkling of the tissues of the walls of this intimate organ, and a decrease in the amount of natural lubricant that is secreted out of him. Dryness of the vaginal mucosa manifests itself in the form of discomfort and pain during sexual intercourse. In addition, bleeding of the vaginal walls may occur due to microtraumas that occurred during sexual intercourse without the necessary natural moisture of the vagina. With all this, itching and burning are usually annoying. Another nasty sign is the frequent and obvious urge to urinate.

Exclusively at the moment of sexual arousal, a woman begins to secrete a moisturizing lubricant from the vaginal walls. Dryness is felt when fluid either ceases to be produced, or is produced in insufficient quantities.

Gynecological diseases and itching of the labia minora

Gynecological diseases are also accompanied by itching of the labia. There are many diseases that have this symptom.

Vulvitis

Vulvitis refers to an inflammatory disease. The development of vulvitis begins with failure to comply with basic hygiene rules, and can also develop from obesity, from an unbalanced diet, from frequent use of antibiotics and for other reasons. In fact, there are many reasons.

Vulvitis can be acute or chronic. As a rule, vulvitis is acute and is accompanied by itching. The skin on the genitals becomes red and may swell

Thrush

Thrush or another name for this disease is candidiasis caused by candida fungi. An inflammatory disease that affects the vaginal mucosa.

This disease most often occurs in women. Itching is the very first sign by which thrush can be identified. In addition, white discharge appears, which also causes discomfort.

Vaginitis

This disease is an inflammatory process of the entire vaginal mucosa. Itching is one of the symptoms that accompanies this disease. In general, vaginitis is similar to diseases such as thrush and vulvitis. For an accurate diagnosis, as in other cases, you will need to undergo an analysis.

Itching with discharge

Against the background of changes in hormonal levels, unpleasant symptoms in the groin area, such as itching and vaginal discharge, can develop. The perineum itches, swells, and there is a discharge that looks and smells disgusting. This phenomenon is observed in women during pregnancy, after childbirth during breastfeeding, in teenage girls at the stage of formation of the menstrual cycle and in women during menopause.

You need to seek help, even if the symptoms begin to gradually disappear on their own. It is necessary to find out the cause of the phenomenon and prescribe adequate treatment so as not to cause complications. This is especially important while expecting a baby, because a mother can infect her child, if not in the womb, then during birth.

Another severe anomaly, which may be indicated by symptoms such as itching with discharge, is endometritis. In this condition, the walls of the uterus grow as the inflammatory process progresses. The huge labia swell and the body temperature increases. The causes of this condition can be both obvious inflammation and the presence of neoplasms, including cancer.

Itching, burning, swelling and the presence of discharge are also noted with the development of a number of anomalies. Their timely healing will free you from a whole bunch of problems. And for women of childbearing age, it will remove the risk of infertility.

In fact, 80% of women at least once in their lives have encountered the symptom of scratching the labia minora, so actively that it is impossible to sit relaxed. In addition, there is a snow-white discharge, reminiscent of sour milk or cottage cheese. The smell is appropriate - sour, disgusting, with onion “notes” from time to time. This is candidiasis, but simply thrush.

The causative agent of the disease is a representative of the opportunistic flora, a fungus of the genus Candida. It lives in the body of virtually every healthy woman, without giving her any trouble, but for the time being. And this time comes along with a decrease in the level of lactobacilli, which “play the first violin in the orchestra” of the microflora of the genital organs, the vagina in particular.

The following signs of anomaly are also present:

burning and pain when urinating;
swelling of the labia minora and labia majora;
redness of the entire perineum, accompanied by unpleasant feelings;
the formation of plaque on the genitals, reminiscent of sour milk.

It is advisable to cure the disease at the initial stage, then you can get rid of it within 3-5 days. And you shouldn’t believe the advertisements of ultra-modern and very effective drugs that promise relief in almost one use. Maybe some of this is true. But if the therapy is inadequate or incomplete, you can “jump” until the disease becomes an acquired form.

Most of the itching of the huge labia is caused by a herpetic infection. Small ones are also involved in the process, but the main and first “blow” is taken by the huge ones.

The disease is usually a consequence of hypothermia or overheating of the body, a complication of a cold or viral disease. The following symptoms (in increasing order):

redness of the outer labia, itching, swelling;
transfer of the same process to small sponges;
there is a feeling of burning, bloating;
the final stage is a blistering rash.

The most correct way out of this situation would be to immediately go to the clinic to determine the background and purpose of therapy.

Sexual and household infections

There are a number of diseases in which itching of the intimate area with discharge indicates infection either at home or during unprotected sex. The route of infection, of course, is important, but this is unlikely to change the clinical picture, as well as the discomfort caused.

Athlete's groin is not a sexually transmitted disease. You can become infected with it by using other people's personal hygiene products, visiting public saunas and baths, swimming pools, or using unsterile gynecological instruments.
Vaginal dysbiosis can occur for several reasons. Among the most common are the sexual route and the presence of the same process in the intestinal tract. A decrease in the level of lactobacilli makes it possible to develop Gardnerella vaginalis, which is present in small quantities in the normal microflora.
Trichomoniasis is a purely sexual disease. It is transmitted during sex with an unhealthy partner and manifests itself as pain during urination, burning and itching of the labia minora, and yellowish discharge that smells disgusting.

A very rare cause of itching in the groin is pubic lice and scabies mites. Lice are transmitted through sexual contact, scabies is transmitted through household methods. The healing in both cases is short-lived and involves the use of local remedies.

Labia itch without discharge

The cause of itching without discharge may be a disease such as vulvodynia. The nature of this disease can be either an allergic reaction or neuropathy.

Symptoms of this disease are severe itching and pain that causes discomfort.

There are many reasons for the formation of such a disease:

abortions;
stress;
childbirth;
injury to the genital organs.

If the disease is caused by an allergic reaction, then after taking the medications, the symptoms will disappear on their own. In other cases, long-term and effective treatment is necessary.

Homeopathic solution to the problem

Recently, people have increasingly begun to turn to alternative medicine to solve multiple health problems, and homeopathy is one of the first in the list of alternative methods of treatment. This popularity can be explained very simply: homeopathy, unlike traditional medicine, involves eliminating the root cause of the disease, and not temporary symptoms.

Thus, for the pathology under consideration, the homeopathic method of therapy is often used. After conducting a series of studies, the homeopathic doctor prescribes suitable treatment with homeopathic medicines. In some cases, complex therapy with the prescription of conventional medications is required. If we talk about homeopathy drugs, the most famous of them in this case are:

Ambergris (Ambra) - helps well against swelling, accompanied by mild inflammation and pathological bleeding in the period between menstruation. Eliminates itching in the reproductive organs, as well as in the anus;
Carbo vegetabilis - prescribed for itching of the genitals, if varicose veins are also present;
Borax – prescribed for vaginal itching accompanied by eczema;
Caladium – helps when the vagina and vulva itches during pregnancy (the genitals itch more at night);
Calcarea carbonica - is prescribed to young patients with unbearable burning in the reproductive organs, as well as to adult women who experience some discomfort before and after menstruation;
Conium - itching and burning, the desire to strongly squeeze the breasts, an uncontrollable and constant desire for sexual intercourse;
Copaiva - itchy genitals with bloody and purulent discharge from the vagina;
Fagopyrum - indicated for yellow vaginal discharge and severe itching in this area, which intensifies during sleep in older patients;
Helonias - prescribed for swelling and redness of the genitals, as well as severe itching (periods are very heavy and frequent, heaviness in the uterine area);
Lilium tigrinum - prescribed to unmarried girls with increased sexual desire, accompanied by itching of the vagina, nagging pain in the uterus and labia;
Medorrhinum - a homeopathic medicine is indicated for severe itching in the female genital organs (heavy dark periods with a foul odor and the presence of clots).

When is treatment not required?

Treatment is not required in cases where itching is a response, for example after depilation, when wearing pads and tampons for a long time, in the absence of the necessary hygiene of the intimate area, when using cosmetics and gels for intimate hygiene.
In such cases, as a rule, if itching occurs, it disappears on its own.

Treatment in such cases is not required. It is enough just to change the method of depilation, underwear, cosmetics and choose a different method of contraception.

Treatment of itching of the labia

Treatment of itching, if it occurs due to an infectious or sexually transmitted disease, consists of taking antibiotics and other medications. In order to get rid of itching, you can use baths with chamomile decoction, as well as wash yourself with soda.

Attention! The use of soda is not always permitted. A doctor's consultation is required.

Antibacterial agents, antihistamines, antifungals and, in rare cases, hormonal agents are also used in therapy.

Antibacterial agents

Such drugs are prescribed for diseases caused by bacteria.
There are more such diseases and no less drugs on the pharmaceutical market.

The doctor will be able to select the appropriate drug, taking into account individual characteristics.

Independent selection of the drug is prohibited due to the composition of the drug, which may not be suitable for every patient.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are prescribed in cases where the patient is diagnosed with an allergy. It happens often. Allergies can be to underwear, contraceptives, pads and tampons, and much more.

The thing is that the symptom of itching can bother the patient for a long time. If an allergy is detected, antihistamines are prescribed.

Antifungal

Antifungal drugs are used in the case of diagnosing thrush. With such a disease, it is very important to get tested for components to which the body is resistant. It is based on the results of such an analysis that you can choose an effective drug that kills the fungus.

Hormonal

Hormonal drugs are prescribed quite rarely, but they also have a place in therapy. Hormonal drugs are prescribed exclusively by a doctor. The choice of the required dose of the drug is also varied by the attending physician.

Basic approaches to therapy

Treatment should be selected solely taking into account the etiology (nature) of the pathogen and the pathogenesis of the disease. It should be understood that in case of incorrect treatment, serious harm to health can be caused. So all these examinations are of great importance.

So, to eliminate thrush, for example, treatment mainly involves acting on the factors that provoked the manifestation of this process, as well as the use of antifungal drugs (Livarol, Fluconazole, Miconazole). In the event that the bacterial nature of the pathological process is confirmed, it will be necessary to prescribe antibiotics in accordance with sensitivity data.

In any case, treatment will be prescribed only by a gynecologist (or dermatovenerologist), based on the research results. Again, it is possible that in this case the itching is caused by neurological problems - in the absence of other symptoms and pathological signs in the tests. To be fair, it should be noted that in this case, as a rule, itching is caused either by an inflammatory process - in young women, or by a manifestation of type 2 diabetes - in older women.