Vagina/vulva irritated by seawater

marj1_158366158366 over a year ago

My 10 year old daughter has been suffering for the past year or so every time she goes into the sea. She complains that her vagina starts hurting each time she swims in the sea. She has been examined by a paediatrician, who concluded that it might be irritation by sand, but even without sand going anywhere near her vagina, she is in discomfort. I have searched the internet high and low, gone online to discuss the matter with a gynae, but no one seems to know what to suggest. We have used barrier creams (Vaseline etc), but that does not seem to help. She has no problems swimming in a pool. Any suggestions? Might it have something to do with the pH inside her vagina?

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marci927 over a year ago

My older daughter has the similar problem when we were on Florida for the first time. We were visiting her grandparents and that was the first time she has saw the sea and that she was swimming in the sea water. Afterwards she was complaining about discomfort she was feeling inside and around her vagina. I was very concerned so I took her to the doctor immediately. They gave me some cream to relieve the discomfort she was feeling and that was it, nothing more.

Since we don’t live on the sea I wasn’t paying that much attention to it so when this happened next year again I realized that this could be a problem. I started to research but everything I have found out was the fact that she is sensitive to the salt water because vaginal bacteria in some girls and woman in touch with salt start to multiple more than they should. The only solution is to minimize the touch with the salt water and shower after she finish with swimming. If you have some new information please share.

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Miriam over a year ago

my 10 year old daughter has the same problem and its so frustrating. i have tried paediatricians, skin specialists, and tomorrow i am going to see a gynae. i ahve been given canesten cream, locoid cream, sudo cream zinc barriers... nothing seems to work. please share anything you might find

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Guest over a year ago

Did you find an answer?

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Guest over a year ago

Hello... my daughter has the same sx. I am baffled. She is unwilling to go into the ocean due to the extreme sting she feels in her vagina. Help! I certainly hope we ALL can come up with relief!

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Guest over a year ago

I read to try a coating of Vaseline on my daughter before the ocean... I'll let you know how it works!

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Guest over a year ago

My daughter has had the same experience fir years. She is eight years old and we really want her to enjoy the summer. Have you found any solution?

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Guest over a year ago

I used to have the same problem when I was younger (from being a baby till when I was about 10) but it has since gone away and has been gone since I was 11. I don't know if the irritation stopped because I got older, or because I kept going into the ocean. Sorry I can't be of more help, just wanted to share that it went away for me with no specific treatment, but it did go away.

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Guest over a year ago

Although this is a seriously late reply - stop putting your daughter through the torture of having all those Drs look at your child's genitals. The ocean is polluted now and children have delicate skin. Nothing more. Stop putting her in the ocean.

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Guest over a year ago

???? YES DEPRIVE YOUR CHILD FROM THE OCEAN BECAUSE DOCTORS ARE BAD. Good advice... if you want to deprive them of everything that is potentially harmful but also full of wonder. I can't believe you'd suggest that they stop looking for a solution.

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Guest over a year ago

My daughter is 11 and is having the same problem. I'm not going to tell her she can't swim in the ocean on our beach vacation. Just looking for a cure and the reason to why it's happening. My daughter's vagina also burns in the pool water as well.

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Guest over a year ago

My (now 12 year old) daughter has the same problem and has complained about it for years! She's bothered by both salt water (the ocean, or any kind of salt in a bath) and pool water, though the salt water is more difficult for her. We just saw a late-career pediatric gynecologist who was baffled and said she'd never heard anything like it. It's frustrating because she loves the water! We also travel a lot as a family, and this impacts the kind of things she (we) can enjoy as a family. Would love to know what's going on?!?!

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Guest over a year ago

So sorry you all are going through this. At the same time I'm glad you posted this. I've been to the ocean for years and never had an issue. We are in Florida for the first time and for the first time ever I'm having the same problem. Does her burning last for days?

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Guest over a year ago

I'm having the same issue with myself and have for yrs. Mine last for days after swimming in either Ocean or a pool. Really depressing!! I love to swim. With me it feels like swimming causes its causing a yeast infection every single time.

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Guest over a year ago

My Granddaughter has the same problem even in pools or tub. So I'm not sure it's all about the ocean... she does luve in Fl by the ocean but she is staying the summer with me in TN.... only private pools and tub... drinks only water and juice... now what's the answer. No pool or tub.

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