Your vulva, especially the vagina, is a pretty sensitive organ. Besides thousands of nerve endings, chemical imbalances can tip off the pH balance and cause viral and parasitic infections. How common that may be, infections don’t need to be inevitable. Although maintaining vaginal hygiene may not be the only way to keep your private parts healthy, it’s critical. This article will discuss how you can maintain your vaginal health.
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Clean Gently With Mild Soap
The insides of your vagina can clean themselves. You don’t need to indulge yourself in cleaning the insides with harsh soaps or solutions. It can cause a chemical imbalance in the vagina and kill beneficial bacteria colonies—causing yeast infection.
However, clean the outer parts of the vagina with clean, warm water and mild unscented soap (optional). Avoid exfoliating the vagina and just use your hands and fingers. Always start from the front and end in the rear. It’ll refrain fecal bacteria from entering your urinary tract and causing UTIs.
Mayhaps you’ve seen a few ads suggesting your vagina should smell like flowers, it’s not true. As with any organ, it has a distinct smell and structure that shouldn’t be disturbed.
Consult Your Doctor for Inconsistencies
That being said, your vagina has a distinct smell, it doesn’t need to be pungent. If you ever notice any inconsistencies in the odor or texture of the mucus, consider consulting your gynecologist for the same. However, during or before your menstrual cycle, the texture of the vagina or mucus may change.
When visiting your gynecologist, don’t prepare for it. If you have noticed any big or small issues, don’t try to cover them up from your doctor. They’re well-trained for these instances and can only effectively treat you if you’re honest.
A general rule of thumb for visiting the doctor is to check for unnatural discharges, rashes, cheese-like textures, and pungent smells. Blisters may also be a symptom of genital herpes.
Avoid Douching
Don’t put anything inside your vagina for cleaning purposes. Not soap, not clothes, not baby wipes. As stated before, the vagina cleans itself automatically. Although pre-mixed douches are sold in stores, doctors don’t recommend using them at all. The solution mixes often include water, vinegar, iodine, and baking soda, which can tip the chemical balance off and can even cause issues during pregnancy.
Furthermore, Suppose you already have an infection, which often lays dormant for a long time before the symptoms appear. In that case, douching can cause them to be pushed inside into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. More complex issues like pelvic inflammatory disease can occur due to douching. Douching may often seem like the best solution for a few symptoms, but relief from vaginal itching can be achieved through over-the-counter ointments without making the issue more complex.
Wear Cotton Fresh Underwear
Harsh fabrics often cause pH imbalance in the vagina. Wearing them for a long can cause rashes and yeast infections. You need to let your private parts breathe to avoid complications. Synthetic materials like spandex and nylon trap the heat inside and don’t absorb the extra moisture that cotton does. As it’s natural to have a vaginal discharge, keeping the extra moisture out is necessary to avoid a yeast infection.
Moreover, it’s better to sleep without underwear during the night. Allowing your nether region to dry and breathe can significantly reduce the chance of viral infections. However, regularly change and wash your underwear and clothing.
Practice Safe Sex
Don’t risk your well-being by indulging in unprotected sex. Even if you’re monogamous and don’t usually practice sex with multiple partners, protection is better because of dormant infections like HIV and herpes. Infections can occur even if your partner or you don’t show any symptoms.
In many cultures, it’s only advised to visit the gynecologist after you start having sex. Although not quite a safe practice, it has derived from the fact that Bacterial vaginosis occurs after you start having sex. If you’re sexually active, consider visiting your doctor frequently to keep your vaginal health in check.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation can adversely affect vaginal health. Apart from negatively affecting your libido, it can increase emotional anxiety, which greatly affects hormonal imbalance and vaginal health. Anxiety increases the likelihood of developing yeast infections, BV, and genital herpes. It also is a primary reason for disrupting normal vaginal glycogens and developing issues in offspring.
Ensure that you’re getting sleep during the night for better vaginal health. As mentioned before, sleep naked or in loose clothing to let your nether region breathe.
Embrace a Healthy Diet
Probiotics are great for keeping yeast infections in check. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains are particularly effective fiber sources and probiotics. Introducing these foods into your diet can help keep your vagina healthy. Moreover, these fiber-rich foods effectively keep your overall health in check.
Cranberry juice is full of antioxidants and acidic compounds. 100% cranberry juice can tackle urinary tract infections (UTIs). A similar benefit for BV is proved for sweet potatoes. As sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and vitamin A, they can keep your mucus membranes healthy and BV in check.
Know Common Vaginal Infections
A few common vaginal infections are the reason for most of the issues. Here are those that you should know the symptoms of.
Yeast Infection
Yeast infection or vaginal candidiasis is a fungal infection that causes thick white vaginal discharge with a cottage cheese appearance. Vaginal Itching and irritation are common symptoms. Redness, pain, and soreness may also occur during a yeast infection. Although most yeast infections are treatable with medication, recurring and severe infections can cause a weakened immune system and discomfort.
Vaginal itch creams, breathable fabrics, and suppositories are the best methods to treat yeast infections.
Bacterial Vaginosis
In contrast to yeast infections, BV is an inflammation caused by bacterial overgrowth in the vagina. Unprotected sex and douching increase the risk of BV. Thin, gray discharge is the primary symptom of BV, with fishy vaginal odor and itching. If you’ve recently been with a new partner and have had unprotected sex, check for BV if any inconsistencies occur.
Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a parasitic infection causing a foul smell, itching, and painful urination. Clear, white, or green discharge is a common symptom of trichomoniasis. Severe infections can also cause pain during urination and a burning sensation. The most effective treatments for trichomoniasis are antibiotics.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, you’ve understood what it takes to maintain your vaginal health. Self-checkup and regular doctor visits are the most critical aspects of it, followed by maintaining healthy hygiene and wearing cotton clothes. It’s also recommended that you practice safe sex and embrace a healthy diet.