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Vulvodynia – What is it?
Vulvodynia is a condition in which the female genitals begin experiencing pain. This pain could be from mild to severe, depending on the nature of the condition. In some women, the pain is experienced as a burning sensation, which is typically felt when they are passing urine. The pain can also be a stinging kind of pain, which can make life very difficult for the woman that has this condition. Vulvodynia is an exclusively female condition, and it can be a consequence of several reasons.
It is believed by medical experts that a lot more women have this condition than is reported. Many women try to ignore the condition because of the embarrassment that is associated with mentioning the problem to a physician. Some women will wait till the pain becomes unbearably severe before they visit the doctor. Also, there is the point that there are no external symptoms associated with vulvodynia, because of which women do not think something is wrong with them at all, despite the pain that they experience.
Vulvodynia – Common Symptoms
There are various symptoms that are associated with vulvodynia, of which the pain is the most important symptom. The nature of the pain is different in different women. Most women who have this condition experience the pain as a burning pain, which is most prominently felt when they are passing urine. The exact epicenter of the pain is also different from one sufferer to another. The parts of the female genitals that can be affected by the pains of vulvodynia include the labia, the clitoris, the frontal opening of the vaginal tract and even the lower part of the abdomen, which is known as the mons pubis.
The pain itself is highly varied, which is one of the reasons this problem goes largely misdiagnosed and underreported. In some cases, the pain can be numbing and itching, while in many cases, it could be burning and stinging.
External symptoms do not usually occur. In very few women, though, the vulva could look swollen or inflamed.
Vulvodynia – Causes
A host of causes can be responsible for the condition of vulvodynia. The following is a list of some of them.
- Infections of the vagina.
- Certain skin conditions, such as allergies.
- Some injury to the vaginal area.
- Hormonal imbalances, especially that of estrogen.
Some physical factors may also cause the condition. Women who cycle a lot, wear tampons more frequently, are highly sexually active and have a lot of sitting to do in their day can develop this condition more frequently than those who do not have such a kind of a lifestyle.
Vulvodynia – Risk Factors
It is seen that women who have suffered from some kind of vaginal infection before and women who lead a lifestyle that puts pressure on their genital area are greater sufferers of this condition.
Vulvodynia – Treatment
A lot of treatment methods are available for this condition, which is actually relatively simple to treat. Different kinds of medications, physical therapies and even hormonal supplementation are used for the proper treatment of this condition.
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