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Itchy and stinging down there? No more persistent vaginitis!

If you suddenly feel itchy and stinging down there, it can be quite bothersome. Many people go to the hospital because they can't stand the discomfort, only to be told that there's "nothing special" or that it's because of "lowered immunity." Especially for women, vaginitis is a common disease experienced once or twice in their lifetime, but it often recurs frequently and causes great inconvenience in daily life due to itching. If you are searching "Itchy and stinging down there" on the internet because you are frustrated and upset about why it keeps recurring, please focus on today's column.

💡 Key Answer Itchy and stinging down there? 3 most common causes of vaginitis: ① Decreased Immunity / ② Uterine and Vaginal Environment Imbalance / ③ Lifestyle Habits and Stress Dalimchae Clinic finds the fundamental cause of recurring vaginitis through Constitutional Improvement and restores a healthy uterine environment.

Vaginitis is a disease that occurs when harmful bacteria multiply due to a break in the balance of normal bacterial flora in the vagina. There are various causes such as Candida fungus, bacterial, and Trichomonas, but they are commonly closely related to decreased immunity. Especially when complaining of "Itchy and stinging down there," it is likely to be Candida vaginitis, atrophic vaginitis, or a complex inflammatory reaction. Lifestyle habits such as stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, excessive vaginal cleansing, and wearing tight clothes also have a significant impact on the occurrence and recurrence of vaginitis.

What's more important is that vaginitis is a warning light for the uterine environment. The vagina is an important reproductive organ connected to the uterus, and problems in the vaginal environment reflect the health and immunity of the entire uterus, not just the vaginal area. When immunity drops, beneficial bacteria in the vagina decrease and an environment where harmful bacteria can easily multiply is created. In such an environment, it becomes difficult to break the cycle of recurrence no matter how much you treat it. In particular, many patients seeking an Incheon vaginitis clinic often suffer from such recurring vaginitis.

Many people complain of frustration after visiting a hospital for itching and stinging, only to receive a diagnosis of "nothing special" or "normal." This is a case where the clear causative bacteria or inflammatory markers do not appear high in Western medical tests, but the patient themselves clearly feels discomfort. In Korean medicine, this state is seen as an imbalance of the uterine and systemic immune environment beyond the simple presence of specific bacteria. It is interpreted that damp (濕) and heat (熱) energy in the body gathers below or the circulation of Qi and Blood is stagnant, weakening the uterine environment.

If this state of imbalance continues, the vaginal mucosa becomes weak and dry, or immune cells fail to function properly, making them easily cause inflammatory reactions even to small stimuli. In other words, even if it is normal on the test, the fundamental environmental problem that can be a seed of recurrence has not been resolved. Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch focuses on identifying such invisible imbalances in the body to break the cycle of vaginitis recurrence.

In Korean medicine, to prevent the recurrence of vaginitis, we focus on improving the fundamental uterine environment and strengthening immunity beyond simply suppressing inflammation. This is consistent with the 'Constitutional Improvement', the core treatment principle of Dalimchae Clinic. It's about creating a body that doesn't turn back on, not just turning off symptoms.

A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2016 evaluated the effectiveness of herbal medicine treatment for 48 patients with chronic recurrent vulvovaginitis (CRV). As a result of the study, vaginitis symptom scores significantly decreased in the herbal medicine treatment group (p < 0.01), and the recurrence rate was also significantly lower than that of the control group. The researchers concluded that these results were because herbal medicine contributed to restoring the microbial balance in the vagina and regulating immune responses.

In addition, another study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine in 2021 reported that as a result of conducting complex Korean medical treatment (herbal medicine and acupuncture) for 8 weeks for 72 patients with recurrent vaginitis, symptoms such as vaginal discharge, itching, and stinging improved by an average of more than 65% compared to before treatment (p < 0.001). In particular, it was confirmed that the pH balance and the ratio of beneficial bacteria in the vagina significantly increased. The researchers suggested that Korean medical treatment can effectively reduce vaginitis recurrence by improving the vaginal environment and increasing self-immunity.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Clinic strengthens immunity in the vagina and helps regenerate the vaginal mucosa through herbal medicine prescriptions tailored to individual constitution and uterine environment. The goal is to create a healthy environment around the uterus by removing unnecessary damp-heat (濕熱) in the body and smoothing the circulation of Qi and Blood. This leads to a fundamental constitutional improvement where vaginitis does not occur again, beyond simply removing inflammation. This is an essential process for a woman's healthy life. Many people come for vaginitis counseling at the Incheon clinic and also complain of leucorrhea, irregular menstruation, or cystitis, which are also related to the uterine environment and systemic immunity and can be improved together.

Am I having recurrent vaginitis? Self-Checklist

If 3 or more of the following items apply, uterine environment imbalance may have already started or the risk of recurrent vaginitis may be high.

• ◻ Itching and stinging symptoms appear once or more a month.
• ◻ There are changes in the amount, color, or smell of discharge.
• ◻ Vaginal discharge is lumpy or has a cheese-like form.
• ◻ Pain or discomfort is felt during sexual intercourse.
• ◻ The lower abdomen is usually cold or hands and feet are cold.
• ◻ Vaginitis symptoms worsen when stressed or tired.
• ◻ Frequently wear tight clothes or use vaginal cleansers often.
• ◻ Suffering from chronic fatigue or sleep disorders.

Judgment:

• 3~4 items apply: Early uterine environment imbalance suspected → Review of lifestyle improvement and complex Korean medical treatment
• 5 or more items apply: High possibility of recurrent vaginitis → Immediate visit and precise diagnosis at Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch recommended

Q. How long does vaginitis treatment take? A. The treatment period for vaginitis depends on the cause, severity of symptoms, and individual constitution. Acute vaginitis can be improved in a relatively short period, but recurrent vaginitis requires time to improve the uterine environment and restore immunity, and usually, more than 2-3 months of steady treatment is recommended.

Q. Is leucorrhea also related to vaginitis? A. Yes, leucorrhea is one of the common symptoms of vaginitis. Changes in the amount, color, and smell of leucorrhea can be an important signal that the vaginal balance is broken and inflammation has occurred. Vaginitis and leucorrhea are closely related and should be treated together.

Q. Can vaginitis heal naturally? A. If immunity is healthy, mild vaginitis may improve naturally. However, if recurrence is frequent or symptoms are severe, natural healing is difficult to expect. If left unattended, it can become chronic or lead to other female diseases, so active treatment is necessary.

Q. I have both vaginitis and cystitis, can they be treated together? A. Yes, vaginitis and cystitis are anatomically close and often have a common cause of decreased immunity, so they are easy to appear together. Dalimchae Clinic helps prevent recurrence by treating vaginitis and cystitis simultaneously through uterine environment improvement and immunity strengthening.

Vaginitis with itching and stinging is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms exactly as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch, we will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Women's Disease Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Min Jihong (Vaginitis Column)