Vulva pain is a condition characterized by burning, irritation and pain, even during sexual intercourse. Vulva pain affects women who are sexually active and can be emotional and psychosomatic in nature. The lesions most often include the vaginal vestibule and the vulva mucosa.
What is vulva pain?
Vulva pain is a common female complaint that even little girls complain of. Vulva pain can occur when touched, sitting or urinating. The symptoms are accompanied by burning and, less frequently, redness and minor ulcerations and erosions. Treatment with amitriptyline 30-50 mg / day or benzodiazepine is attempted, although it is usually ineffective. Meticulous diagnostics helps to confirm or exclude other diseases that cause similar ailments. Remember! The pain of the vulva should not be underestimated. If symptoms occur, a gynecologist should be consulted, as this condition may be a symptom of serious medical conditions such as cancer.
The most common possible causes of vulval pain
1. SROM VILINES
Varicose veins of the vulva is a disease affecting mainly pregnant women (about 40%). It often accompanies hemorrhoids and lower limbs. They arise as a result of impaired venous blood circulation in the pelvic area. In pregnant women, the uterus is pressed against large venous vessels, i.e. the iliac vein and the inferior vena cava. As a consequence, such a situation causes stagnation of blood, dilatation of the vessels and, subsequently, the formation of varicose veins. Varicose veins of the vulva are characterized by:
- pain in the vulva and labia,
- the presence of visible veins in the upper thighs and buttocks,
- redness of the labia,
- swelling of the labia,
- discomfort during sexual intercourse,
- problems urinating,
- constipation.
Varicose veins of the vulva can also arise in obese people who do not show any movement and suffer from chronic constipation. In the diagnosis of the disease, Doppler ultrasound of the pelvic veins is used. However, treatment is based on the closure of inefficient veins with sclerotherapy or embolization.
2. Inflammation of the Soma and the Lips
The disease may be bacterial, fungal or viral in origin. The most common pain in the course of inflammation is the vulva and labia, accompanied by swelling, redness and burning of the labia. Patients feel an unbearable need to scratch and rub their intimate parts, which unfortunately increases the symptoms significantly. Vulvitis most often occurs as a result of sexually transmitted diseases, e.g. syphilis, chlamydiosis. In treatment, the administration of estrogens (usually topically) plays an important role, which helps to rebuild thin and poorly moisturized epithelium. In any case of vulvitis, a detailed diagnosis is necessary.
3. ALLERGIC REACTION
It happens that vulval pain is a response to an allergy caused by the use of, for example, scented toilet paper, soap, body gels or perfumed pads and tampons. Remember that even washing powder or fabric softener can irritate your intimate area.
4. LISZA HARDENER
Lichen sclerosus affects mainly postmenopausal women. This disease is an atrophic inflammatory condition of the labia and the vulva, which unfortunately often causes secondary vulvitis. Lichen sclerosus is commonly considered a precancerous condition which, if taken lightly, can lead to the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. The common symptoms of lichen are burning, pain and itching of the labia. Women feel the need to constantly rub their intimate parts, which often causes the formation of wounds and skin superinfections. It is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible. As a rule, surgical treatment is not necessary.
5. BARTHOLINA GLAND ABSORP
Bartholin’s glands are glands that are located on the back of the labia minora, right at the entrance to the vagina. Their task is to produce mucus that moisturizes the vagina, thanks to which the epithelium is partially protected against irritation and abrasions. Bartholin gland abscess is caused by inflammation and blockage of the lumen of the gland. It is characterized by very sharp pain in the vulva that makes it impossible to even sit down. Unfortunately, no painkillers work. In order to feel relieved, the abscess should be incised and the purulent discharge removed from the inside. Additionally, in order to prevent the abscess recurrence, the edges of the open abscess wall are sewn into the adjacent mucosa in order to avoid the purulent reclosing. After the procedure, patients must take antibiotics with a broad spectrum of action. Other symptoms accompanying this disease are:
- redness of the labia,
- swelling of the labia, usually on the side of the abscess
- a thickening in the vicinity of an abscess.
Lit .: [1] Diseases of the female genital organs. [In:] Braun-Falco O., Plewig G., Wolff HH, Burgdorf WHC: Dermatology, eds. half. Gliński W., Wolska H., Wydawnictwo Czelej, Lublin 2004, 1148. [2] Ventolini G., Barhan SM: Vulvodynia. Dermatol Online J 2008, 14 (1); 2.
Source: A. Kaszuba, Z. Adamski: “Lexicon of dermatology”; XNUMXst edition, Czelej Publishing House