Vulvar Vestibulitis

By peace | November 3, 2006

Falling under the umbrella of vulvodynia (vulvar pain), vulvar vestibulitis refers to pain and inflammation specific to the vulvar vestibule – the vaginal opening and the (typically) moist skin tissue around the vaginal opening. The area is typically inflamed and very sensitive to the touch. In a common diagnostic test, a woman’s healthcare provider might touch a Q-tip to the vestibule – even this slightest of touch can cause a woman with vestibulitis a great deal of pain. Aside from inflammation, there are usually no other symptoms present (such as infection, lesions, discharge, etc). Both the use of tampons and attempts at intercourse can be extremely painful, if not impossible.

Causes
In some cases, the cause of the vulvar pain is easier to pinpoint than in others. In some cases the pain may be able to be traced back to specific trauma to the vestibule such as from infection, severe tearing from intercourse or an accident, or from unrelated surgery to the vestibule. In many cases the cause is unknown.

Treatment
There are a variety of treatments available for vulvar vestibulitis and different ones may work for different women, such as: tri-cyclic antidepressants, acupuncture, estrogen cream, dietary changes (such as the low oxalate diet), biofeedback, pelvic floor muscle training and surgery. Sex therapy can help a woman and her sexual partner deal with the way vestibulitis affects their sexual life – though in no way is this meant to infer that vulvar pain is “invented” or “all in a woman’s head.” It is not.

Thoughts Of Beauty By Talantbek Chekirov

When you are a woman with a vulvar problem, one of the low points can be the feelings of isolation. Having never heard of vulvar cancer, vulvodynia, vaginismus or lichen sclerosus, women may feel that they are the only ones in their community, let alone the world, with a vulvar problem. They may see a multitude of doctors before getting an accurate diagnosis for their vulvar problem. Not knowing the proper names of the parts of the vulva, women may not be able to communicate where it hurts or stings.

Women sometimes go their entire lives without ever looking once at their vulvas. But they should look. Why? Just as each woman’s breasts are different from one another, so is a woman’s vulva.. There are so many different sizes and colors of vulvas that no specific diagram really represents “normal.” It’s important for women to look at their vulvas, to find out what “normal” means for them and report any changes in appearance or feel to their doctors.

Vulvar disorders have a wide range of symptoms. Depending on the disorder, a woman might experience one or more of the following: white or reddened patches of skin; fusing of the labia minora to the labia majora; itching that keeps them awake at night; pain that prevents them from going to work or sitting comfortably in a chair; atrophied skin that easily splits into razor-thin cuts; or a narrowed vaginal entrance that either makes sex extremely painful or downright impossible. Many women with vulvar disorders fear losing their jobs or their husbands because of their symptoms.

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