There are many health issues that women tend to ignore on a regular basis. These unattended issues that we often tend to ignore because of due to shame and hesitation can sometimes be a symptom of some underlying issue. Vulvar ulcers are one such condition that many women face and tend to ignore. These ulcers are the sores that appear in the outer part of a woman's genitals. In some cases, these ulcers can be really painful and in others the person suffering from it might not even notice them. The cause of this condition depends upon various factors such as a woman's age, sexual activities and otherunderlying conditions. Vulvar ulcers can be as simple as folliculitis and as grave as malignancy. Let us get ahead and learn more about the condition of Vulvar Ulcers from our expert Dr. Akanksha Tripathi, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology, Paras JK Hospital, Udaipur.
What are Vulvar Ulcers?
Vulvar ulcer is a condition that can be described as the presence of sores on the outer part of a woman’s genitals known as the vulva. These sores can be acquired sexually or nonsexually. The type of vulvar ulcers that one gets affected with depends on various conditions. Dr. Akanksha Tripathi explains that - “Vulvar ulcer is a broad term and its causes depends upon the age group it affects. In young women or adolescent aged girls, the possible causes can be sexually transmitted diseaeses, sexually transmitted infections, herpes, etc. In the case of old aged women or one’s in the menopausal period this can be an indication of some autoimune disease. This condition tends to cause vaginal itching, vaginal discoloration and discomfort.”
Symptoms of Vulvar Ulcer
A vaginal ulcer is a condition that can range from being as simple as a folliculitis to be as severe as malignancy. It is important to look out for the early signs and symptoms of vulvar ulcers and get it treated at an early stage. A timely treatment can help you to prevent further complications caused due to this condition and will protect you from any discomfort. Look out for these symptoms to detect vulvar ulcers-
- Fever
- Vaginal Itchiness
- Painful urination
- Discharge
- Discomfort
- Enlarged lymph nodes
Causes of Vulvar Ulcers
In order to treat a condition, it is important to know the possible causes that might be affecting you. One needs to treat the root cause of a problem to avoid the recurrence of the situation. Vulvar ulcers being an uncomfortable situation that can cause hindrance in your daily life activities needs to be taken care. As suggested by Dr. Akanksha Tripathi that the cause of this condition varies from age group to age group, let us take a close look at some of the common causes of this vulvar condition.
- Fungal infection
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Viral infections
- Drug reactions
- Sexually transmitte infextions
- Tonsillitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Trauma
- Bacterial infection
- Herpes
Diagnosis of Vulvar Ulcers
Looking for the symptoms of a health condition is just an alarming sign. A proper diagnosis is required to know about the root cause of the condition in order to treat it properly. Some of the techniques used for the medical diagnosis of vulvar ulcers are-
- Blood tests
- STI screening
- Bacterial test
- Partner screening
- Urine test
- Vaginal swab test
- Biopsy
Ways to Treat Vulvar Ulcers
Knowing the root cause of the disease is of no use until it is treated properly. Vulvar ulcers can turn into a serious problem causing a lot of discomfort if not treated properly. It gives rise to conditions such as itchy genitals, painful urination and leaky discharge. Treatment approach of vulvar ulcers depends upon the root cause of the issue. Some of the widely used options to treat this condition involves-
- Medications used to treat STI and STD
- Steroid application
- Immunomodulatory medications
- Partner therapy
- Education and counselling
With inputs from Dr. Akanksha Tripathi, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology, Paras JK Hospital, Udaipur.
