Vaginal burning and soreness

Back to Health A to Z. Vulvodynia is persistent, unexplained pain in the vulva. The vulva is the female genital area including the skin surrounding the opening of the vagina. Vulvodynia can become a long-term problem that's very distressing to live with, but much can be done to help relieve the pain.

The external female genital area is called the vulva. The outer folds of skin are called the labia majora and the inner folds are called the labia minora. If you see changes on the skin of the vulva, or if you have itching, burning, or pain, contact your gynecologist or other health care professional. Your health care professional may examine you, ask you questions about the pain and your daily routine, and take samples of vaginal discharge for testing. In some cases, a biopsy is needed to confirm diagnosis of a disease. Some of the skin disorders that affect the vulva include folliculitis, contact dermatitis, Bartholin gland cysts, lichen simplex chronicus, lichen sclerosus, and lichen planus.

Vaginitis is a medical term used to describe various disorders that cause infection or inflammation of the vagina. Vulvovaginitis refers to inflammation of both the vagina and vulva the external female genitals. These conditions can result from an infection caused by organisms such as bacteria, yeast, or viruses.

Back to Health A to Z. Vaginitis is inflammation of the vagina that can cause itching, discomfort and discharge. If you're sure you have thrush and you've treated it successfully in the past with over-the-counter medication, you can treat it yourself again. Read more about over-the-counter thrush medicines. This is known as vaginal atrophy or atrophic vaginitis, and is due to the thinning of the vagina's lining.