​A Topic Few Wish to Discuss​

So often, I hear women complaining to me about experiencing the symptoms of vaginal itching.  They are stumped and frustrated by this symptom, asking what causes it and how can they eliminate it.

Vaginal “itching” can have many causative factors.  Itching can result from dryness of the skin.  This can happen as a consequence to hormonal change during menopause or even pregnancy.  It can be a sign of nerve irritation.  The pudendal nerve is one of the major nerves that course through the pelvis.  This nerve provides sensation to the vulvar and anal regions.  If the nerve is inflamed, it can cause the sensation of pain or itching or both to those areas.  Vaginal infections, such as yeast and or bacterial can also create an itching sensation.

What can you do?   See your healthcare provider to help determine the cause.  For dry skin, provided you are not allergic to any of these,  a natural emollient,  such as coconut, almond, olive oil or aloe vera can be applied topically to the area to moisturize and sooth the skin. Just as the skin on your face, arms, legs and other body parts can become dry and irritated, your vulvovaginal tissues can as well.    If your MD or other appropriate healthcare provider agree, topical hormonal creams, can also be applied as directed to help with hormone balance to the effected tissues. With nerve irritation and any associated pelvic muscle tension or spasm, physical therapy can be helpful to provide relief from inflammation via various modalities, manual techniques and gentle exercises.  Medications can also be prescribed by your healthcare provider to diminish the nerve pain.  If there is an active infection, it needs to be diagnosed and treated with the appropriate medication and possibly diet modification.

If you are experiencing this type of symptom, don’t hesitate to discuss it with your healthcare provider as there are many ways to address and treat the problem.  Why suffer in silence?

02/13/2017