An irritated vagina is one of the most common vaginal problems you can have. Things that wouldn’t irritate other parts of your body can cause discomfort in your vagina, because it’s a very sensitive area. Although irritation is sometimes caused by medical issues like an infection, other times it’s the result of an everyday product coming into contact with your vagina. Let’s take a look at some of the most basic causes of an irritated vagina.

infections

An infection occurs when the healthy bacteria in the vagina are outnumbered by the harmful bacteria. Normally the good bacteria would prevent this overgrowth, but sometimes the balance of vaginal bacteria is thrown off. There are many types of vaginal infections, but the two most common are bacterial vaginosis and yeast infection. Both can cause you to have an irritated vagina. Other symptoms of bacterial vaginosis are burning, pain, and discharge with a fishy odor. Yeast infections produce a thick, white discharge that looks like cottage cheese. Recognizing these infections means you can get treatment sooner and your vagina back to normal.

Sex

A couple of things related to sex can cause an irritated vagina. If you have sex very frequently without being well lubricated beforehand, the friction can cause burning and irritation later on. Solving this problem is easy: use a water-based lubricant made for sexual activity. However, be careful; some lubricants can be too harsh for very sensitive vaginas and make irritation worse. Another issue related to sex is sexually transmitted diseases. Not all STDs cause symptoms, but when they do, they are usually similar to the symptoms of a common vaginal infection. To prevent STDs, use protection when you have sex.

Products

Many of the products that come into contact with your sensitive area can cause you to have an irritated vagina. Even items designed to be worn in or on the vagina can be too harsh. If you use colored or scented tampons, pads, toilet paper, or panty liners, you risk irritation. The dyes and fragrances in these products may contain stronger chemicals than you suspect. Luxury soaps, bubble baths, and highly concentrated detergents can also be too irritating to the vagina to be comfortable. The best thing you can do to eliminate this problem is to switch to mild soaps without additives, fragrance-free toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products.