What causes vaginal boils?
Vaginal boils are caused by bacteria or yeast infections. There are many types of these infections, but they all have one thing in common: they’re caused by certain kinds of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). These bacteria live on your skin and in your body’s oily glands, which make up the sebaceous glands. When you sweat, the moisture from your skin evaporates into the air. P. acnes lives on these glands and other places where it can grow. If you don’t wash your hands often enough or if you use soap with alcohol in it, these bacteria get trapped there and multiply quickly.
When these bacteria die off, they release toxins that cause irritation and redness of the genitals. You may feel like you’ve got a rash or even a burn when you do something that makes contact with your genital area.
Some women develop blisters around their vulva, while others experience itching.
How are vaginal boils treated?
There are several treatments available for vaginal boils. The first treatment is usually simple washing with water and soap.
Over-the-counter creams and ointments can also help to soothe the irritated skin and reduce pain and swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can also help to relieve the pain.
Antibiotic pills are sometimes used to kill off some of the P. acnes, but your doctor will most likely only recommend this if you have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, which can make you more susceptible to developing these types of skin conditions.
If you suffer from this problem a lot, your doctor may also suggest that you use a steroid cream or ointment to help calm the redness and swelling of the skin.
What are the home remedies for vaginal boils?
There are several home remedies that can help to treat your vaginal boils effectively and relieve your pain. These include:
* Use an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or ointment. This can be bought from your local pharmacy or supermarket without a prescription.
It can help to soothe burning and itching sensations, and this will allow the area to heal more quickly.
* Dilute vinegar can also help to soothe the affected skin. Soak a cotton ball in undiluted white vinegar and apply it directly to the affected area for instant relief.
* Take a bath in diluted apple cider vinegar. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath water.
This can help to soothe the skin, reduce the redness and kill off a lot of the bacteria that are present in the boils.
* Apply aloe vera directly to the skin. This is a natural skin soother that will help to relieve pain and itching.
You can buy aloe vera in a number of forms, from lotion to gels to sprays, and it doesn’t have any known side effects when applied externally.
* Use tea tree oil. This is another natural remedy that will work as a natural antiseptic to fight the bacteria that are causing the infection.
You can buy this from your local pharmacy or supermarket, or you can buy it in an organic form, such as an essential oil. Dilute 1 part tea tree oil with 6 parts of water and soak a cotton ball in the mixture. Apply it directly to the affected area for fast-acting relief.
* Apply milk directly to the skin. The lactic acid in milk acts as a natural antiseptic that will help to fight off the infection and speed up the healing process.
Using one of these home remedies should give you instant relief, but if your symptoms persist you should seek medical attention. Alternatively, make an appointment to see your doctor so they can prescribe a stronger treatment for you, such as an antibiotic cream or even a short course of pills.
Boils on the labia are a common condition that affect many women, not just those who suffer from recurrent bacterial infections like gonorrhea or chlamydia.
Always keep your personal items, such as towels or underclothes clean as this can help to prevent the spread of bacteria and stop you getting another infection.
Sources & references used in this article:
Vaginal discharge: Its causes and associated symptoms as perceived by rural North Indian women by AJ Singh – Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 2007 – ijmr.org.in
The Influence of Gender on Rural Women’s Illness Experiences and Health-seeking Strategies for Gynaecological Symptoms by A Amin, ME Bentley – Journal of Health Management, 2002 – journals.sagepub.com
Algorithms for Managing Vulvovaginal Symptoms—a Practical Primer by O Reichman, LJ Margesson, CA Rasmussen… – Current infectious …, 2019 – Springer
Use of dong quai (Angelica sinensis) to treat peri-or postmenopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer: is it appropriate? by CBS Lau, TCY Ho, TWL Chan, SCF Kim – Menopause, 2005 – journals.lww.com
A randomized double-blind trial of oral L-arginine for treatment of interstitial cystitis by HW Griffith, SW Moore, K Yoder – 2012 – TarcherPerigee
Vermin in Boils: What If It Were True? by GE KORTING, SD SMITH, MA WHEELER… – The Journal of …, 1999 – auajournals.org
