Almost every woman suffers from vaginal itching at some point or the other. There are many reasons for this itchiness. Some reasons are as simple as washing soap or powder residue on the undergarments causing the irritation while the others are more serious like STDs, which can cause heart diseases and infertility if not treated in time. Even if a woman does not have any risk of a serious condition, she’d rather get rid of the itching to get rid of the discomfort called itching. Bacteria trapped in the vaginal skin because of dampness and warmth is one of the common causes of itching. Then, sometimes, the use of perfumed soaps or deodorants can also cause irritation when the skin on the vagina reacts to the chemicals present in these products. Wearing synthetic underclothing is also a common culprit that causes vaginal itching. Yeast infection, caused by Candida Albicans, is also a common causative factor of vaginal itching. Vaginal itching is often accompanied by burning, redness, and pain too.
Whatever may be causing the vaginal itching, there are a few measures that can get rid of the problem. You must wear comfortable cotton clothes and underclothing, avoid scented soaps, keep the vaginal area dry and clean, practice safe sex, and wipe the vagina front to back to prevent and treat vaginal itching. You must also maintain a healthy diet to keep your immune system vitalized; this will prevent bacterial attacks. Drink lots of water and fluids to flush the bacteria out of the system. Refined sugar, processed food, junk food, starch, sugar, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages can aggravate itching and these are harmful to one’s health in general. Consuming unflavored yogurt, garlic, vinegar, and cranberry juice on a daily basis also helps in treating vaginal irritation as these have great antibacterial properties.
There are many ways in which vaginal irritation can be alleviated. Applying garlic paste or a mix of coconut oil and aloe vera gel on the irritated area eases the symptoms like itching and stinging. You can also mix apple cider vinegar and water or tea tree oil and water and apply it on the affected skin to get relief. You must not wear wet undergarments. And, change them after taking a shower if you have worked out. If you have other symptoms like bleeding, foul vaginal odor, excessive discharge from the vagina, and if the discharge is yellowish, you must get a physical examination immediately to rule out an STD.