Vaginitis: When to look for medical advice

Vaginitis is common gynaecologic condition for which women visit a doctor. It can be caused due to several different factors and the severity of symptoms may vary from mild to severe and some women may have no symptoms at all. There, however, are some common symptoms that are present in most forms of vaginitis. The doctor, after analysing family history and doing physical examination and tests (if needed), can recommend treatment. Key to successful treatment is proper diagnosis and therefore, consulting a doctor is a must.

Consult a doctor if you have one or more of the following symptoms (that last for more than a few days) suggestive of vaginitis:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge (thick or thin), which may or may not be foul smelling.
• Burning sensation on passing urine.
• Pain on urination.
• Itching or irritation around the outside of the vagina.
• Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
• If you suspect that you have symptoms suggestive of any sexually transmitted.
• If you have many sex partners or have a new partner. Vaginal symptoms could be due to some sexually transmitted infection. The signs and symptoms of many of the common sexually transmitted infections are similar to those of a vaginal candidasis or bacterial vaginosis.

Consult your doctor if:

• You have recurrent vaginal infection.
• You've never had any symptoms of vaginal infection and have developed symptoms of vaginal infection recently. In such a case, your doctor will determine the cause and treat it accordingly.
• You've had vaginal infections before, but the current symptoms seem to be different.
• You've are taking over-the-counter anti-yeast medication and your symptoms persist or seem to have worsened.

Who to consult

Some health professionals, who can be consulted for your symptoms include;

• general physicians,
• family doctor,
• gynaecologist (doctor who specialises in diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to women’s reproductive system),
• physician assistants and
• internists.