Chronic Vaginitis

Women suffering from chronic vaginitis who don’t seem to find over-the-counter treatment relief often attribute their condition to allergy, known as allergic vaginitis. Because the vaginal lining/mucosa can have the same allergic tendencies as the nose and throat areas, allergic symptoms can appear in the vagina.

Vaginitis causes symptoms like:

• Itching and irritation
• Pain during urination and intercourse
• Change in discharge color or odor 

These symptoms can relate to two types of allergic vaginitis:

1. The first is caused by airborne and food allergens. When exposed to the airborne allergy like ragweed or food that a woman is allergic to, symptoms can appear in the vagina.
2. The second form of allergic vaginitis comes from being allergic to natural yeast in the vagina, sometimes called candida. Some women can develop too much yeast and actually become allergic to that, triggering chronic symptoms.

The relationship between vaginitis and allergy isn’t always recognized, so it isn’t always diagnosed. Allergists are often focused on the sinuses and respiratory tract, whereas gynecologists focus more on infections. Somewhere in between, that disconnect can result in chronic allergic vaginitis sufferers not getting treatment.

The good news? Treatment is available.

While antihistamines help control symptoms temporarily, getting allergy testing to find the root cause of the reaction can lead to relief. Custom sublingual immunotherapy can help create long-term tolerance to allergens and stop related chronic vaginitis.

Research

Dr. Demetrios Theodoropoulos, President of Allergy Associates, studied the allergy/chronic vaginitis connection and found that treating underlying allergy using allergy drops can help improve patients’ related conditions: Inhalant allergy compounding the chronic vaginitis syndrome: characterization of sensitization patterns, comorbidities and responses to sublingual immunotherapy. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2016 Sep;294(3):541-8. doi: 10.1007/s00404-016-4081-2. Epub 2016 Apr 4.