How to self check for external genital itching? 7 Common Symptoms of Pruritus of the Vulva

Pruritus of the external genitalia is a common condition that manifests in various forms, affecting the normal life and work of patients, and endangering their health. Once symptoms appear, immediate examination is necessary.

Symptoms of itching of the external genitalia

1. Pruritus: This is one of the most obvious symptoms in patients with external genital itching, and itching is often paroxysmal, more severe at night, accompanied by discomfort such as burning and dryness, which seriously affects the patient's normal sleep.

2. Rough skin: This symptom usually occurs after a period of time after the occurrence of vulvar itching disease. If not treated in a timely manner, the mucous membrane of the vulvar skin becomes white, red, and the surface is rough, such as bark, hardening, cracks, ulcers, and erosion

3. Skin lesions of the external genitalia: In addition to severe itching, patients with external genitalia itching also experience local skin loss of elasticity, dryness, whitening, atrophy or collapse, as well as severe pain and burning sensation. Patients are unable to live and work normally.

4. Mucosal thinning: However, this symptom may not necessarily occur in all patients with external genital itching. Some patients may experience local skin and mucosal thinning, accompanied by swelling and swelling, atrophy or disappearance of labia minora, narrowing of vaginal opening, difficulty in sexual intercourse or childbirth.

5. Whitening of skin tone: Early manifestations of vulvar itching are also manifested in changes in the skin color of the affected area. At the beginning, the skin tone of the vulva will be more purple red or light red, and some patients will also appear gray white or gray blue, mixed with clearly defined white keratinized plaques, with different shapes and sizes. Among them, mixed type malnutrition has mixed symptoms of atrophic and proliferative types, characterized by obvious atrophy of the genitals and increasingly pale skin color.

6. Redness, swelling, and erosion: Secondary damages such as linear scratches, blood scabs, papules, papuloid changes, mossy changes, and pigmentation may occur due to continuous scratching. The skin of the labia is thick, and the mucous membranes of the penis and vagina are red, swollen, and erosive.

7. Purulent leukorrhea: The itching of the genital area caused by Candida can be seen as white tofu residue like leukorrhea. Trichomonal vaginitis causes female genital itching, leukorrhea, foam like. The itching caused by gonococci usually results in more purulent vaginal discharge.

Vulvar itching test

1. Self inspection:

(1) Place a small mirror under the external genitalia, move the mirror back and forth, left and right, and observe your external genitalia with the help of the mirror. In addition, by observing the color, clarity, and thickness of vaginal secretions such as vaginal discharge and menstrual blood, thread marks can also be found. Normal vaginal discharge is a clear white thin liquid, and normal menstrual blood is bright red or light red. Some people may have some blood clots.