Burning, stinging, and soreness—oh my! Don’t worry, it’s not a sexually transmitted infection; you might have a depressed vagina.
The medical term for this painful condition is vulvodynia, and research estimates that it affects at least one in four women at some point in their lives. That goes for women of all ages, ranging from young girls to menopausal women.
Vulvodynia causes chronic pain in the skin surrounding the vagina, which can start without warning and last for weeks to months. Additional symptoms include burning, stinging, itching, throbbing, swelling, and soreness around the vaginal opening, especially when it’s touched, like during sex or when putting in a tampon. This could be why you’re having painful sex, too.
Because it’s so hard to diagnose, most women don’t even know they have this condition. Although vulvodynia affects anywhere between 200,000 and six million women in the U.S. each year, only 60 percent of them receive an accurate diagnosis.
“Women do not like to discuss problems in having sex and can feel isolated and think they are the only one,” Dr. Amanda Tozer, consultant gynecologist at The London Clinic told The Independent. “Talking is good and the more women can talk about such issues the better so that it feels like a less taboo subject.”
No one knows what causes vulvodynia, and so far, there is no cure. According to Dr. Vanessa Mackay, a spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, research has shown that antidepressants can ease the condition. Hence the idea of a “depressed” vagina.
What’s more, simple changes like wearing 100 percent cotton underwear and wearing loose-fitting skirts and trousers can help ease the pain. You should also avoid scented hygiene products such as feminine wipes, intimate washes, bubble bath and soap. (That’s just one of the everyday habits are hurting your vaginal health.) And last but certainly not least, experts say that having sex is one of the best ways to cheer up a depressed vagina.
“Sex promotes healthy collagen and elastin cells and maintains the flow of blood to the area,” Sophocles told Women’s Health. (By the way, this is what happens to your body if you stop having sex.)
Bottom line: If you suffer persistent vulval pain, talk to your doctor or gynecologist ASAP. Whether it’s vulvodynia or not, pain might reveal one of the many secrets your vagina wants to tell you.
[Sources: The Independent, The Sun, Women’s Health]
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wf1DRM
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