Is Your Chronic Vaginitis an Allergic Reaction?

Allergy can have an underlying effect on many conditions — and one that is not often discussed or understood is chronic vaginitis. But how can the two be connected?

The vaginal mucosa has a lot of similarities to the sinuses and nasal passages, where typical allergic reactions manifest. Some women, when exposed to their problem allergen, experience symptoms in not only the upper respiratory system, but in the vaginal area, too. This can be referred to as allergic vaginitis.

The vaginal lining, like the sinuses, can show signs such as itching, drainage, and sometimes pain due to inflammation, thanks to allergies. This blog explains the two main causes, and how to find relief.

Environmental Allergens

Just like when you breathe in pollen and experience a reaction in the nasal passages, a reaction can also occur vaginally because of the mucosal lining’s similar makeup. Symptoms can be itching, irritation, pain, and changes in discharge. When the cause is an environmental allergen, women may notice that their symptoms occur seasonally, when the offending allergen is in full bloom.

Some allergists have found a link between irritants like fragrances, and even foods, and allergy symptoms that manifest in the vagina, though environmental allergens may be more prevalent.

Yeast Allergy

Some women are allergic to something naturally present in the vagina — yeast. If they develop enough yeast over time, they can actually become allergic to that, and this overgrowth is called candida. This can cause chronic, sometimes constant, irritation.

If traditional yeast infection medications don’t combat symptoms, it may be a sign that there is a larger yeast issue present, like candida.

Treatment

Because allergy clinicians are typically focused on the upper airway — such as sinuses and respiratory tract, and gynecologists tend to focus more on infections rather than allergy — the relationship between chronic vaginitis and allergy isn’t always recognized and diagnosed. Finding an allergy provider that treats the full mucosal system, including that triggered by allergic vaginitis, may be a good place to start and then begin allergy testing.

After an allergy test, your provider can recommend symptom relievers like antihistamines to try to reduce allergy symptoms or provide suggestions for avoiding your allergens. Another option is to treat the cause of all underlying environmental allergens to reduce your total allergen load.

Allergy drops following The La Crosse Method™ Protocol are personalized to each patient and their specific level of sensitivity to each allergen. Over the course of treatment, the body is safely exposed to increasing amounts of the offending allergens, until the body learns to not react when exposed to the allergens — whether it’s environmental allergens or yeast that cause your vaginal symptoms.

In a 2016 study, 52 patients were prescribed custom sublingual immunotherapy treatment for airborne allergens following the La Crosse Method to address allergic symptoms in the lower genital tract. The results showed favorable outcomes for many patients — proving less pain and itching in most patients, and some achieved symptom-free status.

If you’re tired of suffering, consider finding an allergy clinician near you to determine if allergy may be the root of your symptoms.