What are the symptoms of vaginal yeast infection and vulvitis?
Vaginal yeast infection and vulvitis cause symptoms that are nonspecific, which means that aside from the yeast infection, other conditions can cause the identical symptoms. The most common symptom of a vaginal yeast infection is itching in the vaginal and/or vulvar area. Other symptoms of vaginal yeast infection and vulvitis include:
burning,
soreness,
pain during intercourse and/or urination, and
vaginal discharge. (Vaginal discharge is not always present, but when it occurs, the discharge is odorless and typically has a whitish, thick appearance and texture, like cottage cheese.)
Vulvitis can also cause local pain in addition to the above symptoms. Pain in the vulvar area is referred to as vulvodynia.
In up to 5% of women, yeast vulvovaginitis may cause a recurrent problem. A recurrent yeast infection occurs when a woman has four or more infections in one year that are not related to antibiotic use. Recurrent yeast infections may be related to an underlying medical condition and may require more aggressive treatment.