Vaginal irritation - Any Ideas?

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been having redness, itchiness, and burning in my vaginal area the past few days and i have tried, vagisil and feminine wash and neither have worked. Any ideas as to what it could be?

Dear Brittany: If you have already tried over the counter medications for yeast infections and you haven't had any results, then the next step would be to set up a visit with yourprimary care doctor or your OB GYN doctor. Your doctor will be able to perform a vaginal examination and look at the discharge you have under the microscope. This will help them determine what kind of infection it is. If this ends up being a yeast infection, it may be that the yeast is actually becoming resistant to the over the counter medications you used, which would explain why you still have symptoms. Alternatively, it could be that this is not a yeast infection at all but, rather, a different kind of vaginal infection. There are several sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, that can cause some of the symptoms that you are experiencing. Your doctor will also rule out bacteria vaginosis, which is an imbalance in the types of bacteria living in the vagina, and aurinary tract infection as potential causes. Based on what is found, your doctor will be able to recommend the appropriate prescription medication to help clear things up. Good luck!