Food allergies can trigger a wide range of symptoms, sometimes in unexpected ways. If you live with food allergies, you may experience discomfort in different parts of your body, even in areas that might seem unrelated, like the vulva — the external part of the female genitalia. Some people have reported vulvar discomfort that they believe is related to their food allergies.

For instance, on MyFoodAllergyTeam, one member shared, “Each time I eat dairy or wheat my vagina itches so much I sometimes bruise from scratching.” Another said, “I recently picked up a new suspected allergy which affects the lips of my mouth and my entire vagina. It's been very hard to deal with.”

If you experience similar symptoms and wonder if your food allergy could be involved, here’s what to know.

Food Allergies and the Vulva

There isn’t much research directly linking food allergies to vulvar symptoms, but there are a few potential ways they could be connected.

Systemic Contact Dermatitis

Systemic contact dermatitis, or SCD, occurs when your skin reacts to an allergen you’ve previously been exposed to through contact, after consuming the same allergen. For this to happen, your skin has to have been exposed to that allergen before. For instance, if you’ve used a cream or a lotion that contains sorbic acid, you may later experience symptoms when you eat something containing that acid, such as strawberries or certain cheeses.

These reactions may occur only in a certain area, or they may be spread out over your body. This could include the vulvar area. It may resemble symptoms seen in certain forms of eczema.

SCD is not exactly like food allergies as you most likely understand them. There is no discussion of anaphylaxis in relation to SCD. In addition, while your body is responding to something you eat or drink or to medication you take, that is not where SCD starts. Instead, it begins with being exposed to an allergen on your skin. The rash may also look different, because it will be more like eczema and less like what you usually experience with food allergies.

Researchers often talk about SCD in relationship to allergies, but they usually focus on skin allergies, not food allergies. Whether or not SCD is a form of food allergy is ambiguous, but we include it here because it's an immune system response to something you consume, just like a food allergy.

Few instances of SCD on the vulva have been documented. One small study looked at only two females whose symptoms resolved after they avoided the suspected food allergens. Another study of 53 women with unexplained vulvar discomfort found that many had significant results on food allergy tests. Their symptoms improved after removing specific foods from their diets, such as coriander, curry, and onion.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is another term for a yeast infection. It occurs when candida, a type of yeast, grows in the vagina. It can cause itching, swelling, pus-filled bumps outside the vagina, and a bad odor.

While food allergies are not a primary cause of vaginitis, some health experts recommend that people with chronic or recurrent vaginitis look for food allergens and food intolerances (also called sensitivities). The connection between vaginitis and food allergies is not well understood. However, staying away from foods that cause issues for your body may improve your symptoms, though you should also get additional medical treatment from a doctor.

Contact Allergies and the Vulva

If you're experiencing vulvar symptoms like itchy skin, burning, stinging, skin discoloration, or pain, you may be responding to something that has touched your vulva, rather than to something you ate. People often experience these symptoms because they're allergic or sensitive to things like:

• Soaps
• Detergents
• Dyes
• Deodorants
• Douches
• Pads or tampons
• Toilet paper
• Synthetic fabrics
• Spermicide
• Fragrance
• Latex

Anything that touches your vulva could cause these symptoms. You may have to use trial and error to figure out what is causing your symptoms so you can avoid it in the future. You can have both contact allergies and food allergies.

Other Vulvar Problems That May Be Mistaken for Allergies

There are a number of vulvar problems that can produce symptoms that might be mistaken for allergies. Eczema is a common cause of vulvar problems. While it’s not a food allergy, certain foods can trigger immune system responses in people with eczema, leading to skin symptoms such as pain, rashes, and itching. These foods may not show up as allergens on allergy tests, and foods are not the only potential triggers for eczema.

Other possible causes of sores, skin changes, itching, or burning include:

• Bacterial vaginosis — A bacterial infection in your vagina
• Lichen sclerosus — A skin condition that can make your vulvar area feel thicker and look white
• Vulvodynia — Vulvar pain or discomfort without a known cause
• Lichen planus — An inflammatory condition that causes bumps, usually in both your mouth and vulvar area
• Psoriasis — A chronic skin condition that causes scaly patches in varying colors, including in the vulvar area

You can have any of these conditions in addition to your food allergies.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you're experiencing vulvar discomfort, the first step is to talk to a health care provider. Consider consulting not only your primary care physician or gynecologist but also an allergist, especially if you suspect food allergies may be involved. Working with a team of specialists can help pinpoint the underlying cause of your symptoms and create a tailored treatment plan.

Find Your Team

MyFoodAllergyTeam is the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Have you experienced vulvar problems as a result of food allergies? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.