Vaginitis is inflammation of the vaginal mucosa that can be caused by an imbalance of vaginal flora, infections, hormonal changes or allergies, resulting in symptoms such as vaginal discharge, itching, redness, swelling or irritation.
Vaginitis can affect both adult women and children, and in some cases, inflammation in the vagina can extend and affect the vulva, in which case it is called vulvovaginitis.
The treatment of vaginitis depends on the cause, and it is important that the gynecologist is consulted to identify what is causing the problem and initiate the most appropriate treatment, which may involve the use of antibiotics, antifungals or vaginal ovules, for example.
Vaginitis symptoms
The main symptoms of vaginitis are:
- Abnormal, whitish, greenish-yellow or gray vaginal discharge, which may have a bad smell;
- Itching in the intimate region;
- Redness or burning sensation in the genital region;
- Irritation in the vagina;
- Feeling of heaviness in the intimate region;
- Pain or discomfort during intimate contact;
- Pain or burning when urinating;
- Frequent urge to urinate, and there may also be a feeling that the bladder has not been emptied completely.
The symptoms of vaginitis, or vulvovaginitis, can vary depending on the cause of the inflammation of the vagina.
Therefore, it is important to consult a gynecologist to identify the cause and begin the most appropriate treatment.
Read too: Bad-smelling discharge: what it could be (and what to do)
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of vaginitis is made by the gynecologist by evaluating the symptoms, as well as the onset of symptoms and whether there have been other episodes of discharge, irritation and redness in the intimate region.
The doctor must also evaluate the health history and history of sexually transmitted infections, hygiene practices, allergies, use of vaginal douches or lubricants, in addition to the history of medication use.
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Next, the doctor must perform a pelvic and gynecological examination, evaluating the characteristics of the vaginal discharge, measuring the vaginal pH with a pH test strip, in addition to collecting the vaginal secretion to be analyzed in the laboratory, and identifying the cause of the inflammation.
Possible causes
The main causes of vaginitis are:
- Imbalance of the vaginal microbiota;
- Poor intimate hygiene, vaginal douching or frequent use of tampons;
- Forgetting a tampon or an object such as a menstrual cup or condom;
- Candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis or cytolytic vaginosis;
- Sexually transmitted infections, such as trichomoniasis;
- Allergies to panty fabric, toilet paper, latex condoms, spermicide, intimate lubricating gel or tampon;
- Normal hormonal changes of puberty or pregnancy.
Furthermore, treating cancer with radio or chemotherapy or the use of antibiotics or corticosteroids can also increase the risk of vaginitis.
Vaginitis can also appear during menopause, postpartum or breastfeeding, due to reduced estrogen levels, which can make the vaginal mucosa thinner and drier, increasing the risk of inflammation in the vagina and vulva.
Read too: 10 diseases that can appear during menopause
How do you get vaginitis?
Vulvovaginitis is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, but it can be caused by trichomoniasis, which is transmitted through intimate contact with a person infected with the disease. Trichomonas vaginaliswhich can lead to inflammation of the vulvovaginal mucosa.
In most cases, vaginitis is caused by hormonal imbalances, which can result in the growth of fungi or bacteria in the vaginal mucosa, or allergies, for example.
Types of vaginitis
Vaginitis can be classified according to its cause and includes:
- Candidal vaginitis: is caused by fungi of the species Candida sp;
- Atrophic vaginitis: it is caused by a drop in estrogen levels, and is more common during menopause, postpartum or during breastfeeding;
- Trichomonas vaginitis: is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginaliscausing the sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis, transmitted through sexual contact without a condom with an infected person;
- Allergic or non-infectious vaginitis: It is caused by allergies to fabrics, pads, intimate gel or latex condoms, for example.
Furthermore, another type of vaginitis is bacterial vaginosis, which is caused by an imbalance of the vaginal microbiota, favoring the development of bacteria, mainly Gardnerella sp, and leading to the appearance of symptoms. Understand better what bacterial vaginosis is and its symptoms.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of vaginitis must be carried out under the guidance of a gynecologist according to the severity of the symptoms and the cause of the vaginitis.
The main treatments for vaginitis that may be recommended by your doctor are:
1. Medications for vaginitis
The main medications for vaginitis that may be recommended by your doctor are:
- Antifungalssuch as fluconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole or itraconazole, in the form of vaginal ointments or tablets, in cases of candidal vaginitis;
- Antibioticssuch as metronidazole, tinidazole or clindamycin, in the form of vaginal ointment or tablets, for trichomonas vaginitis, in which case the partner must also be treated for bacterial vaginosis;
- Estrogen replacementmainly for atrophic vaginitis caused by menopause.
Additionally, the doctor may recommend sitz baths with bicarbonate in the case of cytolytic vaginosis. Find out how to take a sitz bath with baking soda.
2. Avoid irritating agents
When vaginitis is associated with allergies, it is important to identify the factor responsible for the allergy, as this way it is possible to avoid it, and the doctor may also recommend the use of ointments or tablets based on corticosteroids and antiallergics to promote relief. of symptoms.
How to prevent vaginitis
To avoid this type of inflammation, women must take some precautions, such as:
- Avoid wearing tight pants on hot days;
- Sleep in light clothes or without underwear;
- Do not use tampons for many hours at a time;
- Do not do vaginal showers;
- Avoid using antibiotics unnecessarily;
- Do not have unprotected intimate relationships.
The use of condoms is also important to avoid various types of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, HPV and syphilis, which cause many complications and even risk of death.
Read too: Sexually transmitted infections: top 10 STIs, treatment (and cure)
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