Itchy

[SamooraJ]

I find that I'm itchy and have this dry feeling in my vagina
quite regularly. I'm not sexually active and don't believe it's thrush
as I've experienced that before. I am suspicious of this itchiness & dryness
being linked to eczema as I do suffer from eczema mainly on my hands and
scalp.
Please let me know what it could be or what I can do to alleviate these dry and itchy episodes.

[Mr. Hugh Byrne, MRCOG]

Hi

Any skin condition can affect the genital area too - so I would advise seeing a gynaecologist.

Thrush can appear in many forms so don't outrule it just yet. Candida (thrush) can be carried in your skin folds all over your body and chronic re-infection is common.

Other less common causes include lichen - a skin thinning condition - which is why referral to a gynae is recommended too. There are rarer causes such as parasitic infection etc. A lack of estrogen also causes itch - but if you rperiods are regular then this is not likely.

The itch - scratch cycle of trauma tot he skin is hard to eliminate but i would avoid using any products down there, and to wash the area only as required with warm water. Stress is also an important factor in any skin condition.

I hope this helps...