It causes swelling, redness, irritation, and discharge.
Below are the different characteristics seen when someone has vulvovaginitis.
Atrophy
Someone with vulvovaginitis may haveatrophy of the vulva.
Illustration by Mira Norian for Verywell Health
The vulva will look pale and thin with narrowing of theintroitus, the entrance to the vaginal canal.
The skin will not be elastic and can easily bleed.
Redness
Vulvovaginitis typically looks red.
The vulva skin will beredderthan the surrounding skin.
It can beswollenas well.
Sores
Soreor open areas on the skin occur from the irritation orscratchingcaused by vulvovaginitis.
They can be painful, burn, or itch.
Swelling
The vulva can beswollen.The skin will appear red and can look larger than normal.
Discharge
An abnormalvaginal dischargecan be a symptom of vulvovaginitis.
Thedischarge appearancewill vary based on the underlying cause.
Below are the various ways vulvovaginitis can feel.
Itching
A common feeling associated with vulvovaginitis is itching.
Burning/Stinging
Another common feeling related to vulvovaginitis is burning or stinging.
The irritation resulting from the source, along with any scratching can cause burning andstinging.
Below are ways to treat vulvovaginitis symptoms and tips for properly caring for the vulva and vagina.
It’s important to properly care for the vulva and skin around the genitals.
This skin is sensitive and prone to irritation.
Only was the exterior genital skin and do not douche.
Just use warm water to clean the area and pat dry.
When finished pat the skin completely dry.
Other self-care and symptom treatments include:
What Conditions Cause Vulvovaginitis?
Vulvovaginitis can be resulting from an infection, hormone changes, or most commonly for no known reason.
Below each cause is explained.
Infection
Bacterial vaginosis(BV) is a common vaginal infection.
It is caused when unwanted bacteria outgrows the desirable types of bacteria.
When something disrupts the normal microbial balance, yeast can overgrow.
A common example of this is when someone takes antibiotics for an infection.
Trichomoniasisis a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is triggered by a parasite.
Approximately 70% of people who have trichomoniasis do not have symptoms.
Those who do have symptoms may experience itching, burning, and redness of the genitals.
They may also have pain when urinating and increased vaginal discharge with a fishy odor.
Hormone Changes
After menopause, women have lowerestrogenlevels.
This condition is calledgenitourinary syndrome of menopause(GSM), previously termed atrophic vaginitis.
Unknown Causes
Many times the exact cause of vulvovaginitis cannot be determined.
This is called nonspecific vulvovaginitis.
It is often linked tostool bacteriaand may be due to poor hygiene or wiping from back to front.
Nonspecific vulvovaginitis can happen to anyone but is more common in younger people beforepuberty.
Vulvovaginitis: Which Age is Most Susceptible?
Vulvovaginitiscan happen at any age.
However, infectious vulvovaginitis like BV and yeast infections do not typically happen until a female reaches puberty.
Prescriptions for Vulvovaginitis Discomfort
Prescriptions for vulvovaginitis are typically reserved for infections.
A healthcare provider will perform an examination to determine the underlying cause and if a prescription is necessary.
Yeast infectionswill need an antifungal cream or suppository.
These can be prescription or found over-the-counter.
Trichomoniasis is treated with an antibiotic.
It is usually one dose ofmetronidazoleor tinidazole.
If the initial treatment is not effective follow-up antibiotics will be prescribed.
BV is also treated with an oral or topical antibiotic like metronidazole, clindamycin, or tinidazole.
Steroid creams or antihistamine pills are also used to relieve general vulvovaginitis discomfort.
Cyclic vulvovaginitis can be due to yeast.Antifungalsare used to treat symptoms.
It is seen in females of all ages.
Females who are prepubescent are prone to vulvovaginitis due to the thinner skin that surrounds the vagina.
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