Inflammation in the vagina

An inflammation of the vagina is called vaginitis in medical terminology. This inflammation usually has an infectious cause, such as a bacterial infection or vaginal mycosis. Often not only the vagina but also the vulva is affected by the inflammation.

In this case it is called vulvovaginitis. A common symptom of an inflammation of the vagina is vaginal pain. This is mainly intensified by mechanical stress.

A burning sensation when urinating and itching are also typical accompanying symptoms of an inflammation. Depending on the cause, an unpleasant odor of the vagina may occur.Bacterial inflammations are often characterized by an unpleasant and fishy odor. However, it is not only infections that cause inflammation in the vagina, but also the menopause.

A so-called senile colitis, or estrogen deficiency colitis, affects women during the menopause and is caused by the falling estrogen level. This acute inflammation of the vagina is manifested by severe itching, bloody discharge and pain during sexual intercourse. Senile colitis is treated with vaginal estrogen creams.

Vaginal mycosis

The vaginal mycosis is probably the most common infection of the female genitals. The unpleasant fungus leads to severe itching and a crumbly, whitish discharge. The fungal infection is accompanied by a foul-smelling odor and pain in the vagina.

Especially sexual intercourse or the insertion of a tampon is very painful. Furthermore, urination can also be painful. The pain has a rather burning character and usually occurs only after a longer period of time if the fungus is not or insufficiently treated.

For the treatment of a vaginal mycosis there are different vaginal creams and vaginal suppositories with the active ingredient clotrimazole or miconazole. For persistent infections, treatment with tablets containing the active ingredients fluconazole or itraconazole may also be necessary. What medicines are available for vaginal mycosis?

Diagnosis of vaginal pain

Women with vaginal pain should not carry the symptoms around with them for long, but should consult their gynecologist as soon as possible. The gynecologist will carry out various examinations to determine the cause. The type of pain, accompanying symptoms and the age of the person affected usually narrow down the probable causes.

This is followed by a vaginal examination in which the vaginal mucosa is inspected and changes such as discharge, bleeding and ulcers are checked. An unpleasant odor can be indicative of an infection. Swabs help to identify a pathogen. A vaginal ultrasound can also be performed if additional inflammation of the uterus or ovaries or endometriosis is suspected. If a malignant tumor is suspected, samples are taken from the suspicious tissue in the vagina (biopsy) and examined more closely under a microscope.