Two aspects of TCM etiology of senile vaginitis

Senile vaginitis belongs to the category of "leucorrhea" and "vulvar itch" in traditional Chinese medicine, which seriously affects the quality of life of the elderly. According to the syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine, senile vaginitis can be divided into damp-heat type and liver-kidney yin deficiency type.

1. Damp-heat type

Symptoms: Itching and burning pain in the genitals, a large amount of yellow and watery vaginal discharge, or pus-like, foul-smelling discharge, accompanied by tightness in the wrist, poor appetite, restlessness and insomnia, loose and uncomfortable or dry stools, or frequent and painful urination.

Analysis: The elderly are physically weak, and the functions of their organs deteriorate rapidly. If the liver is depressed and the spleen is weak, damp heat will be generated internally and damage the Ren and Dai meridians, so abnormal vaginal discharge will occur; damp heat will soak the genitals for a long time, so itching and discomfort will occur; damp heat will affect the urethra for a long time, so frequent urination and burning pain will occur; damp heat will block the spleen, so the patient will feel stuffy and have a poor appetite; the mind will not be nourished, so the patient will feel upset and insomnia. The remaining symptoms are signs of excessive damp heat.

2. Liver and kidney yin deficiency

Symptoms: Itching of the genitals is worse at night, the vaginal discharge is small in amount and yellow or large in amount and yellow like water with blood, the genitals are dry and shrunken, there is burning pain in the genitals, accompanied by dizziness, soreness of the waist and knees, fever in the five parts of the body, and occasional hot sweats.

Analysis: With increasing age, the elderly gradually develop liver and kidney deficiency, leading to insufficient essence and blood, loss of nourishment of the genital skin, resulting in dryness, atrophy, and itching of the skin; liver and kidney yin deficiency, and the liver opens to the eyes, the clear orifices are not nourished, resulting in dizziness; the external organs are not nourished, and the bones are not nourished, resulting in soreness and weakness in the waist and knees; yin deficiency generates internal heat, which can be seen in a small amount of yellow vaginal discharge; excessive vaginal discharge is like yellow water.