Effective Home Remedies For Vaginal Itching
Any woman that has gone through the painful signs and symptoms of vaginitis or vaginal itching would be able to relate to the irritation, infection and more that we are going to talk about.
What is Vaginal Itching?
Vaginal itching is an uneasy, sometimes painful and unpleasant symptom that often arises because of infection, irritants used around the vagina, and menopause too. There are even cases to show where STDs and skin diseases of a certain kind have caused Vaginal itching in women. The rarest of rare cases have been because of vulva cancer, say experts.
Now that you have a basic overview of what Vaginal itching is all about, let’s learn about the causes and symptoms, before proceeding onto what home remedies can be used as well, shall we?
List of 8 Causes of Vaginal Itching
Talking about the causes that give birth to the annoying Vaginal itching, here are a couple of infamous ones that experts say add fuel to the fire. Check them out and understand them all better.
1. Vaginal itching can happen because of irritants
When the vagina is exposed to irritants such as chemicals, soaps, harsh deodorized feminine products, scented toilet paper and more, vaginal itching occurs. Sometimes, contraceptives when used topically can cause itching of the vagina.
The use of the above mentioned irritants can trigger an allergic reaction which forms a very itchy pesky rash over the vagina and its surrounding areas.
2. Check if you have skin disorders and diseases
Skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema- skin diseases that can cause inflammation and itching of the skin, redness too around the vagina, can be some of the causes. What happens is that the outbreaks of these symptoms spread, and they spread fast all over the body; the vagina too.
3. Vaginal itching could be caused by yeast infections
Natural occurring fungi, yeast would be seen mostly around the genital region, the nails and the toes or fingers of an individual. It is said; around three out of four women would suffer from yeast infections in some point of their lives, according to experts from the medical world.
Yeast infections are a result of strong antibiotic doses that destroy non-pathogenic or good bacteria in the body, while killing pathogenic or bad bacteria too. If the good bacteria aren’t around, yeast growth isn’t kept in check and can cause severe Vaginal itching- lumpy discharges, itching and burning too.
4. Bacterial vaginosis can cause Vaginal itching
On the same lines of yeast infection in the vagina, BV would be triggered when there is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the genital zone. One would have abnormal foul smelling discharges from the vagina and immense Vaginal itching too.
5. STDs are to be blamed as well
There are cases where women suffering from a range of STDs or sexually transmitted diseases contract Vaginal itching. If the sexual intercourse act is unprotected when one is sexually active, vaginal itching can happen. Some of the STDs that cause Vaginal itching to a large extent are Chlamydia, gonnorhea, genital warts and herpes, and trichomoniasis.
6. Menopause and menstruation
If you are undergoing the phase of menopause, or have undergone it already, chances are that you may have Vaginal itching. This happens because the oestrogen levels in the body during menopausal phase can cause vaginal atrophy or excess of drying of the vagina. When dryness is too much, the irritation and itching of the vagina begins.
7. It could be because of stress
Stress can play havoc on many spheres of our lives, and including vaginal itching too. This isn’t a very common cause of Vaginal itching though, however, stress as many experts say, can be reason enough for the immune system to be weakened over time. If the immune system is weak, the body is more prone to a whole load of infections; Vaginal itching being one of them.
8. Hope It Is Not Vulvar Cancer
As mentioned, vulvar cancer too can be reasons why one has vaginal itching. This is a cancer of the vulva- the outer part of the woman’s genitalia.
We hope the eight causes that are discussed shows you light on how Vaginal itching happens. Now let’s go further and discuss the symptoms of Vaginal itching, for a better understanding, shall we?
Symptoms of Vaginal Itching
Talking about the symptoms of Vaginal itching, here are a few.
- You could suffer from vaginal pains
- You could have redness of the vagina
- Abnormal bleeding of the vagina
- Foul and smelly discharge of the vagina, and
- Painful urination in some cases too
Other than that, Vaginal itching can also show symptoms such as:
- Urinating frequently
- Tenderness of the vaginal walls
To make the vagina stay healthy sans the burning and the itching, here are a couple of home remedies to use. Check them out.
List of Natural Remedies for Vaginal Itching
1. Cold Compress
For instant relief from the itch in the vagina, for many decades women have banked upon the traditional cold compress method. This helps bring down the inflammation and also helps numb the area, keeping the itches and burns away.
What you need:
- Ice cubes
- Cotton towel
How to do
- Wrap a couple of ice cubes in a clean cotton towel
- Gently press the area affected for a minute.
- Hold on to the cold compress for as much as you can; keeping in mind your comfort level.
- Do this thrice a day and feel the difference.
2. Salt Water Bath
The use of salt water bath as an anti-microbial and antibacterial cleanse is a must when you suffer from Vaginal itching. This is because the pesky microbe growth is highly controlled when salt comes into contact with the vaginal itch, and this in turn would bring down the discomfort.
What you need:
- Teaspoon of salt
- Warm water
How to do
- Add a teaspoon of table salt to a mug of warm water
- Rinse the vagina with the mixture.
- This should be done twice a day for best results.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is known for its medicinal and anti-bacterial properties, which kills the microbes inside the vagina. This would also bring down the itchiness and inflammation to a large extent.
What you need
- Tampon
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
How to do
- Soak a tampon in a mix of one quart water and one quart apple cider vinegar,
- Insert the same into the vagina.
- Keep it for an hour to the max.
- After an hour, the tampon should be removed and the vagina should be rinsed with warm water.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has hydrating and medicinal properties which can be used when you have vaginal itching. This brings down the inflammation and the itching, thanks to the antimicrobial properties of the oil.
What you need
- Coconut oil
- Warm water
How to do
- Add three tablespoons of coconut oil around the affected zone
- Keep for half an hour or more
- Wash off with warm water and pat dry.
5. Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a potent agent to deal with Vaginal itching. The oxygen content in hydrogen peroxide helps to eliminate the fungal yeast infection. However, you may experience a burning sensation in the afflicted locations because of the mixture, which can be quite intense if the infection is quite severe.
What you need
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Warm water
How to do
- Mix a teaspoon of the liquid hydrogen peroxide to a cup of warm water.
- Pour the mix onto the vagina very carefully.
- Do this once a day
- Pat dry the area thereafter.