The Embarrassing Women’s Itch

 

Hi guys – Okay I know its an embarrassing topic, but most of us at sometime have been caught out by this itch and judging by all the Q&A’s that there have been lately it seems to be running rampant.

How many of you have

been in a meeting or in town where there’s nowhere to run when all of a sudden you have the itch!!! It’s unbearable – you need to itch. You try the walk (yes ladies, you know the walk where we tense up our region down there and try and walk) but nothing happens, your brain is screaming ‘scratch it’ but OMG you can’t there are too many people . . ..  I HATE THAT ITCH . . ..

There are a majority of us females both young and old that has been caught out by the dreaded itch and it’s not nice. . I remember being in town once with hubby and he noticed me walking funny and he was silly enough to ask. . OH DEAR – It dawned on me, if he could tell how many others could?? Through gritted teeth I answered only to have to grin from ear to ear, I honestly felt like wringing his neck.

Mmmm – enough reminiscing. . You all get the point!!

Quite often though there is a reason behind this horrible and annoying itch from down below, the culprit is usually fungus! It’s a known fact there wherever heat and moisture get trapped then fungus will grow and it’s the same for a human body. When conditions are right; such as in warm and moist environments, these fungi can multiply rapidly, upsetting our ‘down there’ region and its comfortable balance. It’s this fungus that causes all the unbelievable itching. The most common fungal infection to women is the ‘Yeast Infection’.

‘Down there’ itching that is accompanied by a white, curd like discharge is more than likely due to a yeast infection. The simple truth here is that statistics in Australia show that ¾ of all women will have a yeast infection sometime in their lives, and many will have recurring infections.

It’s also important to know that:

If your immune system is compromised by stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, or illness, you may be more likely to get yeast infections.

If you are pregnant or taking antibiotics, you may be more likely to get one as well.

If you suffer from certain health conditions, such as diabetes, you are also at a higher risk of yeast infections.

There are also other causes of the dreaded itch. Some of these are:

Eczema – This is a non-contiguous inflammation of the skin that causes redness, itching, dryness, fine scales, and/or flaking

Psoriasis - This is a recurring inflammatory skin condition characterized by red, itchy patches where excess skin cells continuously build up and flake off

Chlamydia - This is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by a certain bacteria that, if left untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility

Heat – This is also a common cause of the dreaded itch. It can be helped and is preventable in most cases. Heat and moisture make an itch . .lol

Genital Herpes - This sexually transmitted disease is caused by the herpes simplex virus and results in outbreaks of painful blisters on the genitals that are typically chronic and recurring

THE GOOD NEWS is that if you can easily recognize your symptoms as a yeast infection because you have had one in the past then over-the-counter antifungal medications are available at your local pharmacy. Some great ones that are used are Canesten, Nilstat, Diflucan.

However, if this is your first time that you are experiencing these symptoms, or if you suspect it may be something else other than a yeast infection or a heat rash then its important to consult your doctor before beginning any treatment. This helps to ensure that you receive a proper diagnosis and rule out other possible causes. Once diagnosed, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter medication or prescribe medication.

IF your itch is HEAT related then there are some GREAT tips that you can use . . These tips are also GREAT if you have a yeast infection. Here are some tips:

• Only wear 100% cotton pants, undies
• Where possible where skirts or dresses, otherwise wear thin cotton pants.
• AVOID denim as this is thick and your ‘down there’ region cannot breathe.
• Don’t use normal soap when cleaning the effected area.
• When drying this area you can ‘pat dry’ but the best method is to use your hairdryer on a cool setting.
• For NON-yeast infection there is a great cream available to help settle and soothe the itch . . . Its called Vagisil. This comes in creams, wipes, washes and powders. Vagisil products are also useful to help calm down an aggravated yeast infection.
• Avoid hot baths and showers
• If its winter, turn off your electric blanket

In the end its great to know that there is help out there and you needn’t be embarrassed by the dreaded itch. My 16 yr old daughter began to suffer from a heat related itch when she was around 11 years old. So just remember it doesn’t just affect us older ones. Make sure you are armed with all the info, as you never know when your daughter may have to ask. .

Thanks for sitting down and reading this . .  Oh and I used the term ‘down there’ so as to avoid the dreaded Sin Bin. . he he he

Cheers Kellz xoxoxo

© Copyright 2008 Kellzacar. . All writings by Kellzacar remain the property of Kellzacar and should not be republished or copied without written permission. Kellzacar can be emailed via Minti