Related articles: Vaginitis
Definition
Vaginitis is inflammation of the vagina, which can cause symptoms like vaginal discharge and intimate itching. The inflammatory process is usually consequent to infections (especially Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans), food shortages or poor intimate hygiene; after menopause it can also be caused by an alteration of the vaginal mucosa (atrophic vaginitis), which becomes drier and thinner due to the decrease in estrogen.Most common symptoms and signs *
- Decline in sexual desire
- Bladder dysfunction
- Dysuria
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Vaginal hemorrhage in the early stages of pregnancy
- Metrorrhagia
- Blood loss after menopause
- Vaginal discharge
- itch
- Vaginal itching
- Vaginal bleeding
- Vaginal dryness
- Smelly vaginal secretions
- Strangury
- Vaginismus
Further indications
The symptoms of vaginitis obviously depend on its origins; they can therefore include severe itching associated with whitish and very dense vaginal discharge (candidiasis), foul-smelling secretions (bacterial vaginosis) or yellowish-greenish vaginal discharge (trichomoniasis). Common to some forms are itching, redness and discomfort in the genital area (especially in the presence of candidiasis), pain during urination and sexual intercourse, and small vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual period.
