Vulvodynia

Overview :

As with other types of chronic pain, vulvodynia can have a significant impact on the quality of life. The disease may interfere with daily activities including sitting, walking, physical exercise, and social interactions. Sexual intercourse may be painful or impossible. Vulvodynia can lead to exhaustion and depression. In extreme cases a woman may become bedridden. Classification systems Vulvodynia has not been well-defined, in part because it has not been well-studied. The symptoms vary greatly in severity and the causes of the condition are unknown. Thus vulvodynia is classified in different ways. Most often vulvodynia is subdivided into two types: vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS), also called vulval vestibulitis or vulvar dysesthesia, is a localized inflammation of the vestibule—the region immediately surrounding the opening of the vagina and the urethra. dysesthetic vulvodynia, also called generalized vulvodynia or generalized vulvar dysesthesia, usually is defined as vulvar burning that has no obvious cause and is not limited to the vestibule. Some women appear to suffer from both types of vulvodynia simultaneously. An older classification system is still in use. It distinguishes between vulvar vestibulitis and vulvodynia and subdivides vulvodynia into two major categories: organic vulvodynia, in which a cause can be identified essential vulvodynia, in which a cause cannot be identified and which usually affects older women, particularly women in their 60s. Demographics Females of any age can develop vulvodynia. A 2003 study suggested that up to 16% of women—or 14 million American women—experience chronic vulvar pain lasting three months or longer at some point in their lives. Approximately one-half of these women seek treatment. There is conflicting evidence concerning the prevalence of vulvodynia among different ethnic and racial groups. The 2003 study found that Hispanic women were much more likely to suffer from the condition. The study also found that women who experienced pain when first using a tampon were seven to eight times more likely to have vulvodynia at some point in their lives. Between 10% and 25% of women with interstitial cystitis—a bladder condition that causes frequent urination with burning—also have symptoms of vulvodynia. The prevalence of VVS is unknown but some surveys have suggested that about 28% of women have a history of vestibular pain. It has been estimated that about 15% of women seeing private gynecologists and about 1% of women visiting genitourinary medical clinics suffer from VVS. Dysesthetic vulvodynia is more common in postmenopausal women and younger women who have had back injuries.