DEAR DOCTOR,

I normally get swellings on my private parts. They usually come when I am about to have my monthly periods. They are not painful.  What could be the cause of that and are they harmful?

Carol

DEAR Carol, 

For how long have you been getting these swellings on your private parts during menstrual cycles? Is it before every cycle or only a few times? Are there any associated symptoms like itching, pain, discharge, swelling over feet?

Due to changes in hormone balance around menstrual cycles, some women do experience swelling over feet, vagina, and heaviness over breasts. It can be one or more of these symptoms that subsides after the menses are over.

Vaginal swelling causes a lot of concern, but is mostly due to benign and treatable causes.  It can be due to allergy caused by any body care product used over that part, where itching may occur with swelling. There may or may not be eruptions.  Chemical douches, deodorants are the main substances which can cause allergy and swelling. 

Nylon underpants, when used impair ventilation of the skin, resulting in irritation and at times mild inflammation, which can manifest as swelling of the vagina. You can try and stop using any chemical body care product over vagina and nylon undergarments too.

It can be due to rough intercourse. If vagina is not very well lubricated, intercourse may lead to irritation and some damage to the delicate skin, resulting in swelling. This can be avoided by increasing foreplay before sex.

Pelvic infections, particularly vaginal infections are yet another common cause for genital swelling. The vagina is a damp area with a very fragile covering, hence vulnerable to acquire infections. Dampness during menstrual cycles, sex without good hygiene, are other factors which increase the vulnerability to infections.  Due to anatomical proximity of urinary bladder to pelvic organs any infection of the bladder can easily pass to vagina. The infection maybe due to any microbe, i.e. bacterial or fungal or viral. Apart from swelling, there may be one or more of the following symptoms, i.e. pain over lower abdomen, low backache, painful urination, painful intercourse, eruptions. Vaginal itching, vaginal discharge.  

Pelvic infections can be prevented by drinking adequate amounts of water, keeping good menstrual and sexual hygiene.  It can be detected easily by the physical symptoms and signs, laboratory examination of the discharge and is curable by suitable antibiotic treatment.

Any inflammation or swelling of lower end of uterus, i.e. cervix can also cause vaginal swelling.

Bartholin’s glands are located around vagina and help lubricate it. Gartner’s ducts usually close after birth, but may persist after.   Any inflammation/cyst formation of the Bartholin’s glands or Gartner’s ducts, can cause painful and swollen vagina. If cysts or abscess formed are big enough, they have to be removed surgically.

Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine