Vaginal swelling is an issue that many women may face during some part of their life. Some women may face it because of an underlying pathology, while others develop only at a specific times in life such as after menopause or pregnancy. However, it is a fact that vaginal swelling in pregnancy can be a nuisance and a sign of some underlying disease that may demand immediate attention. Therefore, it is important for women to educate themselves about all aspects of vaginal swelling to help them in dealing with issues that may complicate pregnancy.
What Are the Symptoms of Vaginal Swelling in Pregnancy?
- Vaginal swelling may include other ailments such as localized or generalized pain, irritation, and appearance of blisters or sores that may bleed.
- Vaginal swelling can also be accompanied by vaginal discharge, this can be consistent or periodic, and this discharge may have foul odor that may affect personal or genital hygiene.
- Most pregnant mommies also report that vaginal swelling interferes with the urination and is usually followed by feeling of sharp stinging sensation while passing urine.
- The most common symptom is inflammation around vaginal region and itching in the inflamed areas.
If these symptoms are experienced, visit your doctor as early as possible. These signs should not be self-treated, even with milder manifestations such as slight itch, irregular and scarce bleeding. Many serious diseases can be caught at an early stage with regular checkup and maintenance of good health; therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry!
What Causes Vaginal Swelling in Pregnancy?
There are many reasons why pregnant females may develop vaginal swelling during pregnancy; some of these are mentioned below:
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Causes |
Descriptions |
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Improper hygiene |
It can result in increase in microbial content in vaginal region, facilitating growth of microbes and resulting in inflammation. |
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Infections |
Bacterial, viral and fungal infections are particularly attracted to this region of the body since it has lower temperature and high moisture content that offers favorable environment for the growth of microbial agents. |
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Sexually transmitted diseases |
Sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea are caught by direct sexual contact from the partner and can result in the seeding of bacteria in the vaginal area, resulting in inflammation and associated symptoms of the disease. |
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Use of products |
Use of products that can react with your skin and cause allergy has also been known to cause allergy and irritation in the vaginal region. These products can cause extreme itching to your skin, resulting in skin reddening and inflammation, resulting in hyper-allergic reactions. |
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Hormonal changes |
Hormonal changes can also result in increase in vaginal discharge and sloughing off of internal linings. In addition, during pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations can lead to disturbance of body’s natural flora. As a result, bacterial and fungal infection growth is eased. |
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Presence of cysts |
Presence of cysts in the genital region can result in vulvovaginitis. These cysts can be cancerous as well. |
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Gruff entry |
Having sex for longer time or gruff entry can lead to vaginal inflammation or bleeding. |
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Inflammation |
Inflammation of ducts or arteries present in the vaginal region can result in edema, which is the accumulation of fluid and results in fluid discharge. |
How to Treat Vaginal Swelling in Pregnancy
- Do not scratch. If you observe oozy lesions or inflammation around your vaginal region with redness, avoid scratching it as scratching can result in spreading of the infection to surrounding skin.
- Wash it properly. Most importantly, it is highly recommended not to over wash genital area, since waterspreading to other parts can also seed microbes there. But make sure you do not stop maintaining your personal and genital hygiene, since many infections are caused by poor hygienic conditions.
- Avoid self-treating. The next most important thing to do is to avoid self-treating yourself! Never try to self-medicate yourself, especially if you are pregnant. This is becausemany antifungal or antibacterial drugs are contraindicated in pregnancy and lead to toxic interactions if unsupervised.
- Medications. Once your doctor completes his physical examination, he will prescribe you a course of antibiotic or antifungal drugs as per your needs. Oral antifungals are not usually prescribed during pregnancy, so you would probably be using topical creams to resolve the infection; if the infection has spread to other parts of body, a stronger antibiotic plan will be used. These drugs are to be carefully monitored since any adverse drug interactions can directly harm the fetus.
Home Remedies for Vaginal Swelling in Pregnancy
Even though allopathic medication is not advised, some home remedies can help you with the discomfort. These remedies can also be used during drug therapy to soothe irritation and itching.
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Remedies |
Descriptions |
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Use cold packs |
For pain and swelling, use cold packs and cold baths, these help reduce inflammation due to swelling and soothe the pain as well. |
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Drink enough water |
Drink lots of water to promote pain-free urination. With active infection involving genital or urinary tract, there is always a high risk of microbial infestation involving the urinary system. However, if you void your bladder at intervals, the risk of bacterial multiplication can be reduced and since urine is slightly acidic in nature, it can also help in reducing the spread of infection. |
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Use garlic |
Garlic is used in herbal remedies for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Try applying a paste of garlic on your swollen skin and in a few days, you will notice that the swelling starts to resolve. Using garlic can cause burning, so make sure you start with little quantities initially |
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Add a little apple cider vinegar |
Add a little apple cider vinegar in a trough/ tub of water and soak your body in it for ten to twenty minutes every day. Apple cider vinegar contains strong antibacterial components; this will alleviate the effects of ongoing drug therapy. |
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Use probiotics |
Using probiotics help in maintaining the right kind of flora needed to maintain proper health. |
How to Prevent Vaginal Swelling in Pregnancy
- Keep a strict check on your hygiene can help in reducing genital and all types of urinary infections. Improper cleanliness can expose your organs to exogenous inflammatory substances that can interfere with the integrity of normal flora and may also lead to other complications.
- Stay away from beauty bath products and bath soaps during pregnancy. This is because in pregnancy your body may become more sensitive than usual to irritants and chemicals. As a result, strong agents in such products can cross-react with the skin resulting in unwanted manifestations.
- Prevent tight clothing’s and keep your vaginal area hydrated. Over drying can result in extreme pain and irritation.
