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EspañolVaginitis symptoms: What are the early signs of vaginitis?
Overview: What does vaginitis feel like?
Vaginitis is a commonly-experienced cluster of vaginal health problems, including vaginal discharge, foul odor, itching, irritation, and burning around or in the vagina. Women most commonly experience these problems in their reproductive years. There are many types of vaginitis: bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, trichomoniasis, allergic vaginitis, inflammatory vaginitis, atrophic vaginitis, and simply vaginal irritation. Because vaginitis has many different causes, symptoms will vary. In addition to discomfort, odor, and discharge, women may experience vaginal swelling, vaginal dryness, vaginal redness, thinning of vaginal tissues, and pain when urinating or having sex. Vaginal discharge is the most common experience, but the discharge's character, color, and odor will vary depending on the cause. Treatments will also vary. Some types of vaginitis can easily be treated at home, whereas others require a diagnosis and prescription medications.
Key takeaways:
Vaginitis is a common health condition among women.
Early signs of vaginitis include vaginal discharge, foul odor, itching, irritation, or burning.
Vaginitis rarely has symptoms serious enough to require immediate medical attention, but get immediate medical attention if experiencing other symptoms of a severe health problem, such as fever, chills, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, or severe allergy symptoms.
Vaginitis is caused by allergic reactions, bacterial infections, yeast infections (candidiasis), trichomoniasis, inflammation, irritants, or hormonal changes. You may be at risk for developing vaginitis symptoms if you have allergies, multiple sexual partners, unprotected sexual intercourse, or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Other risk factors include douching, smoking, drug use, diabetes, pregnancy, breastfeeding, IUDs, damp or tight-fitting clothing around the genital area, and menopause. Drugs like corticosteroids, antibiotics, spermicides, and birth control pills increase the risk, as do vaginal products, such as vaginal sprays and vaginal deodorants.
Vaginitis can be self-diagnosed, but identifying and treating the cause usually requires a medical diagnosis.
Vaginitis may or may not require treatment. Vaginitis symptoms typically resolve with or without treatment within one to a few weeks of symptoms appearing, depending on the cause.
Treatment of vaginitis may include avoiding irritants or allergens, antibiotics, antifungal medications, or vaginal estrogen. Read more about bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection treatments, and trichomoniasis treatments.
Untreated vaginitis could result in complications, such as recurrent vaginitis, pregnancy problems, pelvic inflammatory disease, and fertility problems.
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What are the early signs of vaginitis?
The defining symptoms of vaginitis are vaginal discharge and a bad or unusual odor from the vagina. Other early signs of vaginitis include irritation, itching, or burning in the vagina. The vulva may also be affected.
Other vaginitis symptoms
The symptoms of vaginitis will vary depending on the cause.
Allergic reactions and vaginal irritation are the most common causes of vaginitis. Vaginal products, such as douches, tampons, and vaginal sprays, are common triggers. There may be no discharge involved, so the signs of allergic vaginitis are usually burning in the vagina and vulva redness.
Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common causes of vaginitis when diagnosed by a healthcare professional. It’s usually caused by an overgrowth of certain types of bacteria that are normally kept in check by other bacteria in the vagina, such as lactobacilli. The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include:
Thin vaginal discharge
Fishy odor
Pain during sex
Itching
Candida yeast infections are another common cause of vaginitis, particularly during a woman’s reproductive years. Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include:
Thick, white, and cottage cheese vaginal discharge
No odor
Vulvar itching or burning
Vulvar swelling
Pain during sex
Pain when urinating
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted parasite infection. Symptoms include:
Green or yellow frothy vaginal discharge
Very bad odor
Pain or soreness in the vagina
Vaginal swelling
Cervical irritation
Red spots on the cervix (“strawberry cervix”)
Vaginitis due to atrophy of the vaginal lining is caused by low estrogen levels. Vaginal atrophy is a common complication of menopause, but other potential causes include breastfeeding, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and surgical removal of the ovaries. Atrophic vaginitis is characterized by symptoms such as:
Thin and clear discharge
Vaginal itching
Vaginal dryness
Pain during sex
Thinning of the vaginal tissues
Inflammatory vaginitis is also caused by low estrogen levels, but it involves the shedding of tissues from the vaginal walls and a buildup of white blood cells in the vaginal lining. Symptoms include:
Pus-filled vaginal discharge
Vaginal burning
Pain during sex
Vaginal swelling
Vaginal redness
RELATED: BV symptoms: what are the early signs of BV?
Vaginitis vs. vaginosis symptoms
Vaginitis describes the symptoms caused by a number of health problems. Vaginosis is one of the medical conditions that can cause vaginitis. The suffix “-itis” means “inflammatory disease,” so “vaginitis” means “inflammation of the vagina,” and “vulvovaginitis” means “inflammation of the vulva and vagina.” The word “-osis” has a few meanings, but it can mean “production” or “increase,” so vaginosis implies an increase of bacteria produced in the vagina. While there are many types of vaginitis, there is only one type of vaginosis: bacterial vaginosis, which is a symptomatic bacterial infection of the vagina. It is one of the most common causes of vaginitis.
When to see a doctor for vaginitis symptoms
Some vaginitis symptoms may be due to irritation or allergies. These can usually be handled at home with self-care, avoiding irritants, or using over-the-counter (OTC) medications like antihistamines.
See a healthcare professional if vaginal discharge is green or yellow, thick and curd-like, or there’s a strong odor from the vagina. Some women who frequently experience yeast infections can easily identify the symptoms and successfully treat the infection at home with OTC antifungal medications. However, see a healthcare professional if the symptoms don’t clear up with antifungal treatment. Finally, if vaginitis interferes with quality of life, a healthcare professional may be able to help.
If vaginitis is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever or pelvic pain, get medical care as soon as possible.
A gynecologist or other healthcare provider diagnoses the cause of vaginitis by taking a medical history, performing a physical examination, and performing a few standard tests. In the interview, be prepared to ask questions such as:
What are the symptoms?
When did the symptoms start?
Have you had similar symptoms before?
Do you douche?
Do you have or have you had a sexually transmitted disease?
Have you recently been prescribed antibiotics, steroids, or immunosuppressants?
Using a swab, the clinician will examine the vulva and vagina with a speculum and test the pH level inside the vagina with a testing strip. The clinician or patient will collect a sample from inside the vagina. The clinician will mix the vaginal discharge with a solution to perform a “whiff test” in order to test for a bacterial infection. The clinician will then examine the sample under a microscope to identify possible infectious pathogens. If the clinician suspects a Trichomonas infection, a Pap test or urine sample might also be needed. The clinician may also test it for Trichomonas DNA.
Complications of vaginitis
Untreated vaginitis can result in complications, such as:
Recurrent vaginitis
Pregnancy problems, such as low birth weight, premature membrane rupture, and preterm birth
Postpartum endometritis
Vaginitis also increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, HPV, and genital herpes.
How to treat vaginitis symptoms
Vaginitis treatments will vary by cause:
Bacterial vaginosis is treated by oral or topical antibiotics, particularly oral metronidazole or topical clindamycin.
Yeast infections are treated by topical antifungal drugs, usually OTCvaginal creams. Some infections may require oral antifungals when they are recurrent.
Trichomonas vaginalis is treated by the antibiotic metronidazole or the antifungal drug tinidazole.
Irritant or allergic vaginitis is treated by avoiding triggers, discontinuing offending medications, or discontinuing behaviors, such as douching. In some cases, healthcare providers will prescribe corticosteroids.
Inflammatory vaginitis is treated with topical clindamycin, estrogen vaginal creams, or estrogen tablets.
Atrophic vaginitis is usually treated with topical or oral estrogens.
Living with vaginitis
If vaginitis is a recurrent problem, women can do a few things to help prevent repeated bouts:
Avoid vaginal douching
Avoid overly fastidious cleaning of the vagina and vulva
Use condoms during sex, even if other contraceptives are being used
Limit the number of sexual partners
Avoid smoking
Avoid possible irritants or triggers, such as vaginal sprays, soaps, detergents, vaginal deodorants, tampons, lubricants, fabric softeners, and bubble baths
Most importantly, see a doctor when uncertain
Women who experience vaginitis because of allergies, irritants, yeast infections, or hormone levels will learn to identify the problem, manage the symptoms, and prevent recurrence. However, other forms of vaginitis are more serious. Home remedies, OTC testing kits, OTC medications, and supplements may not work in these cases. A healthcare professional can identify the cause and start the appropriate treatment.
FAQs about vaginitis symptoms
How long does vaginitis last?
Most causes of vaginitis resolve within one to a few weeks. Atrophic vaginitis, however, may take up to 12 weeks after starting hormone therapy to achieve full symptom relief.
What is acute vaginitis?
Most cases of vaginitis are acute, meaning that they start at a definite time and resolve within a few weeks. However, some women have recurrent vaginitis, sometimes called chronic vaginitis. Although bouts with vaginitis improve with chronic vaginitis, they keep coming back. Repeated bacterial infections are the most common reason.
How to treat vaginitis at home?
Vaginitis can be successfully treated at home when it is due to allergies, irritants, or a yeast infection. The standard treatment for vaginal yeast infections is OTC medications. However, home treatments and OTC remedies don’t always work. If vaginitis symptoms do not improve with treatment, see a healthcare provider.
What’s next? Additional resources for people with vaginitis symptoms
Test and diagnostics
Trichomoniasis, StatPearls
Vaginitis, StatPearls
Vaginitis: diagnosis and treatment, American Family Physician
Treatments
Trichomoniasis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Vaginitis, StatPearls
Scientific studies and clinical trials
Current treatment options for postmenopausal vaginal atrophy, International Journal of Women’s Health
Vaginal itching as a manifestation of seasonal allergic disease, The Journal of Clinical Immunology
More information on related health conditions
Bacterial vaginosis treatments and medications, SingleCare
Trichomoniasis treatments and medications, SingleCare
Yeast infection treatments and medications, SingleCare