VAGINAL ITCHING – CAUSES, TIPS AND HOME REMEDIES |

Itching in the vagina is termed as Pruritus vulvae. Pruritus vulvae’ simply means itching of the vulva. The vulva is the area of skin just outside the vagina. Most women experience a slight vulval itch now and again. However, pruritus vulvae means the itch is persistent and causes distress. The itch may be particularly bad at night and may disturb your sleep. About 1 woman in 10 sees a doctor about a persistently itchy vulva at some stage in her life. Vulval itching can affect any woman, at any age. It can lead to scratching and rubbing which can break the skin and can lead to soreness, bleeding and skin infections. About 5000 years as per Ayurvedic terminology it is called as Yoni Kandu.

“Kapha Nasti Kandu Shotha”

This sholka simply means that there is no itching or swelling without the aggravation of the kapha dosha in the body. Hence an Ayurvedic doctor focuses on reducing the aggravated kapha dosha with the help of ayurvedic medications or removing the aggravated kapha with the help of panchakarma. Panchakarma is the most authentic way of cleansing and detoxifying the human body. So this can be treated in three steps; shodhan, shaman and pathya. Shodhan means removing the aggravated kapha, shaman means balancing the doshas with internal and external medications and third and the most important step is pathya meaning diet restrictions. For vaginal infection one is advised to avoid or reduce the intake of sweet, sour and salty foods.

CAUSES –

An itchy vulva (pruritus vulvae) is a symptom, not a condition in itself. It can be caused by many different conditions. Therefore, if you have a persistently itchy vulva, you should see your doctor to find out the cause. Not maintaining hygiene, improper cleansing after sexual indulgence, repetitive episodes of white discharge, excessive sweat, improper soaps or sanitary pads can be causes of the itching. Also skin conditions like atopic eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, etc can affect the vulva skin. Even long term use of medicines increase the kapha dosha in the body leading to a lot of burning and itching inside as well as outside the vagina.

TIPS AND HOME REMEDIES –

1] Sitz bath – A sitz bath or hip bath is a bath in which a person sits in water up to the hips. It is a warm, shallow bath that cleanses the perineum, which is the space between the rectum and the vulva or scrotum. A sitz bath can also provide relief from pain or itching in the genital area. For this condition we will need to take a sitz bath with an ayurvedic decoction. Fill half the tub with hot water and add one tspn of triphala powder. Triphala is a mixture of three dried fruits; Amalaki, haritaki and bibhitaki. Either add this powder to the hot water or make a decoction of this triphala powder and put it into the bathtub. Sit in this hot water for about 20-30 minutes at least once a week. If the itching is very severe then use a combination of triphala, vidang, chopchini and nagakeshar. Mix all these powders in equal quantities and add one to two tablespoons in the sitz bath. Patients with severe itching can take this bath twice or thrice a day.

2] Regular cleaning – One must take equal amounts of tankan bhasma, kutki, vasa, khadira, neem, haldi, vidang, nagakeshar and chopchini. Mix all the powders together and store in a container. Take around 2-3 tspn of this mixture and mix it with around 500ml of water, boil it and then strain it and store in a thermos. Whenever required pour some of it in a cup, dip a cotton ball in it and clean your vaginal area with it. One must do this 4-5 times a day, if not possible then at least 2 times a day.

3] Khadira – Khadira powder mixed with half a glass of warm water twice or thrice a day helps a lot with itching.

MEDICINES –

Proprietary medicine, Actived India Menstra Med which has herbs like Ashwagandha, Kawach Beej, Safed Musali, Gokharu, Kapikachhu, Guduchi, Amalaki and Shilajit. All these herbs are best for the uterus, menstrual pain, excessive white discharge, giving strength to the body, etc. It works best when combined with Actived India Psora – C Med. The dosage will be 2 tsp Menstra Med and 2 tsp Psora- C Med, mixed with 4 tbsp of water, twice or thrice a day.