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Most gynecologists have never heard of vulvodynia. Meanwhile, many women say they have it. The symptom is very severe and nagging pain in the vulva, but the tests performed do not indicate any abnormalities.
Illness can be an embarrassing problem for women. Their drama is that most doctors ignore the symptoms they describe. Few can help, because the disease is little known and it is not even listed in the National Health Fund lists. In addition, the partners of sick women often do not believe in their suffering and consider it an excuse against intercourse.
Pain in vulvodynia
As prof. Anita Olejek, head of the Department and Clinical Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University of Silesia, the disease exists. “She is characterized by chronic pain described as burning or stinging in the vulva area,” she explains. Prof. The oil adds that the disease is difficult to diagnose, because the results of diagnostic tests show nothing. Vulvodynia is often accompanied by vulvitis. Doctors often see them as the causes of ailments. As the pain persists despite healing the inflammations, gynecologists refer patients to a neurologist or psychiatrist. – Women suffering from vulvodynia are often mentally unwell, even with symptoms of depression. Since they feel pain around the vulva, they refuse to have sex. For this reason, their contacts with the partners are not the best. Often, these patients would very much like to have a baby, but because of the pain they do not have sex with their partner – says the gynecologist.
Diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia
The disease is diagnosed by excluding all other probable conditions. Painkiller gels and steroid ointments are used in the treatment. Physical therapy brings good results, because the disease is accompanied by increased tone of the fundus of the uterus.
– Unfortunately, there are few therapists dealing with this issue in Poland – adds prof. Oil. In the treatment of vulvodynia, neurological drugs and antidepressants are also used. It is worth taking advantage of psychotherapy. Prof. The oil also advises you to try photodynamic treatment. It consists in irradiating the vulva after the photosensitizing agent falls. – In our clinic, we use this method with very good results in similar diseases – he says. She adds that she is opposed to some gynecologists removing painful parts of the vulva. – This is an invasive procedure that does not guarantee that the pain will disappear – explains the doctor.
A shameful disease
Prof. Anita Olejek believes that the disease is an embarrassing problem for many patients and it is difficult for them to talk about it. – I am impressed with the American website www.nva.org. It was founded by women suffering from this ailment in 1994. Patients struggle with great determination to draw the attention of decision-makers influencing the organization of health care in the USA to their problem. They even managed to speak at the American Congress. As a result, there are already doctors in the USA who specialize in the treatment of this disease. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find specialists in this field in Poland – says the professor.
Where to go for help?
You can read about the suffering of women suffering from vulvodynia on the internet forum, which was created on the website www.vulvodynia.pl. The website was started by a psychotherapist suffering from this ailment. There, women describe their experiences related to seeking medical help. The GP laughed at me for saying about vulvodynia (…). He also added that it was schizophrenia. I roared all the way home and I couldn’t calm down for a long time. He said I wash poorly and hence the ailments. The doctor told me that everything was fine in these tests and he was terribly pleased with that, to which I replied that I would prefer the results to show something, because if I am healthy on paper and I have pain, there is nothing to hold onto. and I don’t know what to heal. (…) he started yelling at me and making fun of idiots.
Professor Oils advises women suffering from vulvodynia to seek help from vulvovaginal clinics. Such clinics operate at academic centers.
Text: Halina Pilonis