Vaginal Burning or Odor? A Quick Guide to Identifying the Cause
Vaginal discomfort can be an occasional inconvenience of daily life, but vaginal burning and odor may be a sign of something more serious. Your body could be reacting to an irritant, an infection, or a hormonal change. It’s always a good idea to consult with your health professional if you think something is wrong, but understanding possible causes can be helpful.
What Causes Vaginal Burning and Odor
Burning and odor may not always appear together. To determine what is going on, you’ll need to recognize how these symptoms are affecting you.
Vaginal burning
Many issues can result in burning or itching sensations. Itching or burning on external areas, like the vulva and labia, could be due to contact with an irritant. However, if the sensation you’re feeling is more internal, like the vagina or cervix, you may have an infection.
If you have recently been exposed to something new—like a new detergent, new underwear, or different hygiene products—discontinue use to see if the burning dissipates. Burning should subside within a few days, but if it hasn’t, there may be something else causing it. Whether the burning is constant or on and off, be sure to monitor when or how long you feel it, where burning occurs, and how it feels. This can help your doctor decide the right course of treatment, if needed.
Vaginal odor
Your vagina normally produces an odor that can vary based on where you are in your menstrual cycle, so sometimes vaginal odor causes can be difficult to determine. If the smell becomes strong or unpleasant, you may have an infection.
Different infections can produce different types of vaginal discharge and odor. Observing the texture and odor of the discharge can help determine the possible type of infection. For instance, a yeast infection will usually have a thick, clumpy discharge that may smell sweet or bready. But a sexually transmitted infection (STI) may cause discharge to be watery and smell unpleasant.
A Guide to Identifying the Cause of Vaginal Burning and Odor
When deciding whether to talk to your healthcare professional, consider which symptoms you have and how they are affecting you so you can determine what might be the cause. Here are a few examples of what could be causing your symptoms and how you may want to proceed:
Burning | Odor | Possible Cause | What You Could Do |
Burning, itching, or soreness of external areas like the vulva and labia. And possibly pain during urination or sex | Sweet or bready | Yeast infection | Use our Symptom Checker to help determine the cause. If you think it's a yeast infection, Monistat® comes in three strengths to meet your treatment needs but make sure you talk to your healthcare professional if you are at all unsure that you have a yeast infection. |
Burning, itching, or swelling of the external areas | No change in odor | Contact irritation | Avoid using any new clothing or hygiene products to see if symptoms fade |
Burning, itching, or soreness of internal and/or external areas | Unpleasant, foul or fishy smell | Bacterial vaginosis | Talk to your healthcare professional for treatment |
Burning, itching, or soreness of internal and/or external areas. And possibly pain during urination or sex | Unpleasant, fishy or musty smell | STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis | Talk to your healthcare professional for treatment |
Itching and irritation of the external areas | You may or may not notice changes in odor, but the smell should not be unpleasant or overwhelming | Menopause | Talk to your healthcare professional if this and other symptoms are bothersome for you |
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How to Know When to Seek Care
Many burning or odor changes can be mild or temporary and may disappear within a few days. Anytime changes persist or worsen or if your symptoms are severe or disrupting your daily life, it’s best to talk to your healthcare professional.
Most infections will not clear on their own and may need antifungal treatment, antibiotics or other medications to resolve.