Ms. Li felt itchy in her lower body a few days ago, and she couldn’t help scratching it, even causing redness. The doctor told her it was acute vulvitis, but she didn’t want to take medicine and hoped it would get better on its own.
The doctor clearly told her that acute vulvitis cannot heal on its own, and it is necessary to first confirm which bacteria is causing the infection, and then seek treatment promptly.
It may also be due to other diseases causing acute vulvitis, and if not treated promptly, it may become more severe and even lead to many complications that harm women’s health.
Gynecologist: Women need to learn to self-judge vulvitis based on these four main symptoms
1. Swelling and congestion of the vulva
Due to inflammation irritating the skin of the vulva, redness, swelling, and congestion may occur on the skin and mucosa of the vulva, which can worsen during activities, even during sexual intercourse and before and after urination.
If the condition is not controlled in time, it can progress to varying degrees of erosion and ulcers, or even extensive eczema.
2. Itching of the vulva
This is one of the most common symptoms of vulvitis, and most women infected with vulvitis will experience vulvar itching.
Some women may also feel burning sensations and pain in the vulva, which can become more noticeable before and after activities.
3. Pain during sexual intercourse
Due to inflammation and infection of the vulva, the skin of the vulva may become swollen or painful due to folliculitis, or even form abscesses. This can cause pain during sexual intercourse or urination.
4. Changes in secretions
In a healthy female body, normal secretions may occur, but these secretions are generally odorless and transparent. Once vulvitis occurs, abnormal secretions may appear.
For example, an increase in the amount of secretions, malodorous secretions, and some purulent secretions. Changes in secretions are an important criterion for judging women’s gynecological diseases and should be paid attention to.
What are the harms of vulvitis?
1. Infertility
Severe vulvitis can cause bacterial ascension, leading to cervical inflammation and other gynecological diseases. These gynecological diseases may affect the normal fertilization of the egg and result in female infertility.
Moreover, there is a possibility of cross-infection between spouses. Transmitting bacteria to each other during sexual intercourse can make the other person ill. This is why timely treatment is necessary when vulvitis occurs.
2. Urinary tract infections
If acute vulvitis is not promptly cured, it may also lead to female urinary tract infections. Due to the special physiological structure of women, inflammation can infect the urinary tract, leading to the possibility of urethritis.
This may cause a sense of urgency and pain during urination, and in severe cases, hematuria may occur. Urinary tract infections can also stimulate the vulva, causing vulvar swelling.
3. Tendency to malignancy
Although vulvitis is a common disease, if not promptly treated, prolonged inflammation may trigger the onset of other diseases, and the inflammation may even progress to malignancy. This can cause significant physical and psychological damage to women, making patients suffer greatly from the disease.
Therefore, timely identification of vulvitis symptoms and prompt examination and treatment are crucial preventive measures to avoid women suffering from further pain and disease.
Reference materials:
1. Li Tao, “Clinical Manifestations and Nursing Points of Nonspecific Vulvitis” from “Modern Medicine Application in China”
2. Huang Xiuying, “Diagnosis and Treatment of Vulvitis” from “Domestic and Foreign Medical Care”
3. Han Diancun, “Female Vulvitis” from “Shandong Medicine”
