Inflammatory diseases of the genital organs in adolescent and childhood girls account for more than 50% of all visits to the doctor.
The prevalence of these diseases among girls under 9 years of age is dominated by vulvitis and vulvovaginitis. They are diagnosed in 60-70% of all cases. This is due to the physiological characteristics of the child's body.
The newborn baby's vagina is absolutely clean. However, 12 hours after delivery, the mucosa is colonized by bacteria, most of which are lactobacilli. They protect the mucous membrane from harmful bacteria. But by the 20th day of life, estrogens and progesterone are excreted from the baby's body, and with them lactobacilli disappear. In their place, coccoid and bacillary flora appear, which persists in girls up to 9 years old. By the age of 12, estrogenic stimulation occurs in the body with the multiplication of lactobacilli, and at the age of 13-14 in girls, the pH of the medium becomes acidic.
Therefore, girls under the age of 9 suffer the most from vulvovaginitis. After this age, the number of cases of the disease is reduced to 40%.
The disease can be:
Depending on the cause of vulvovaginitis, there are:
If the disease is caused by external microbes, vulvovaginitis is called primary. If it develops against the background of other infections, it is secondary.
Specific pathogens of diseases include sexually transmitted infections, diphtheria and tuberculosis bacilli, and fungi.
Provoking factors of vulvovaginitis and vulvitis:
These diseases are quite rare in young girls and girls who do not have sex, as the likelihood of infection from the outside is minimal. In most of these situations, infection occurs due to the transmission of infection through the blood from an inflamed internal organ to the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Among the main causes of the disease:
If a girl has started to lead an intimate life, infection can occur in an ascending way.
With the development of such a pathology in the body, the girl's discharge appears. Due to the burning and itching of the vulva, the child constantly combs the genitals, which first leads to the formation of small-point hemorrhages, and later can lead to ulcers and bloody purulent discharge.
The child's general condition worsens: sleep is disrupted, appetite disappears, and mood changes.
For effective treatment, it is very important to identify the cause of the disease. Depending on it, the scheme may vary.
The results of microscopic and microbiological analyses with the determination of sensitivity to antibacterial agents help to make a diagnosis. The study is performed by taking a swab from the girl's genital tract.
Additionally, the doctor may prescribe a PCR diagnosis - an analysis for STIs, as well as a blood test (general and clinical).
After identifying the pathogen, the gynecologist selects drugs that act on the pathogen in a particular case.
If the disease is caused by fungi of the genus Candida, antimycotic medications are usually prescribed. If the causative agent of trichomonas is metronidazole and its analogues, they are effective.
In the presence of gonococci in the body, the specialist conducts therapy with antibacterial drugs.
If atopic vulvitis (caused by allergies) is diagnosed, the doctor prescribes a diet in which the child is not recommended to eat seafood, eggs, citrus fruits, chocolate and honey sweets, certain types of berries and nuts.
Dieting is recommended in parallel with treatment with antihistamines.
If the disease is caused by a foreign body entering the vagina, it is necessary to remove this object, and then rinse the vagina with an antiseptic catheter.
If the disease develops due to helminthiasis, therapy should begin with taking anthelminthic drugs.
In case of secondary vulvovaginitis, it is necessary to conduct therapy simultaneously with the treatment of concomitant pathology.
Irrigation of the genitals, lotions and sedentary baths with herbal disinfectants or antiseptics help to eliminate itching and burning in inflammatory diseases in girls.
In case of relapses of the disease, the use of estrogens in the form of creams is indicated.
Lack of therapy or ineffective treatment can lead to:
Observing intimate hygiene in girls can help to avoid the development of vulvovaginitis.
Recommended:
Not recommended:
Sex education, timely and correct informing of girls about sexually transmitted diseases and observance of intimate hygiene play an important role in the prevention of specific vulvovaginitis.
