Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia, simply put, is chronic vulvar pain without an identifiable cause. The location, constancy and severity of the pain vary among sufferers.  There are two main subtypes of vulvodynia, which sometimes co-exist: a) Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome: iIs characterized by pain limited to the vestibule, the area surrounding the opening of the vagina. It occurs during or after pressure is applied to the vestibule b) Generalized Vulvodynia: For women with generalized vulvodynia (GV), pain occurs spontaneously and is relatively constant, but there can be some periods of symptom relief.

Disease Statistics: Vulvodynia accounts woman of any age, beginning in her teen years, may have vulvodynia. Estimates of women with vulvodynia range from 200,000 to six million.  A recent at the University of Heidelberg revealed that around 16 per cent of German women between the ages of 18 and 64 reported suffering from chronic vulval pain (i.e. pain lasting for three months or longer) during the course of their lives.

Treatment: Although there is no cure, self-care and treatments for vulvodynia can help bring relief. Avoid things that could be irritating the vulva such as soaps, shampoos, creams and perfumes. Use dermatologically approved products and maintaining personal hygiene.

Research: There is lot of research going throughout the world to find out the exact cause of Vulvodynia. The exact cause of vulvodynia is still unknown. Researchers say that it might be due to Nerve injury, infection, Muscle spasms (or) Genetic factors that make the vulva respond poorly to chronic inflammation.