Signs of an unhealthy vagina and important measures that must be taken to maintain its health
All women are concerned about their vaginal health. A healthy, healthy vagina is actually acidic and contains a large amount of beneficial bacteria that fight infection and equal a typical pH level. A healthy vagina secretes a small amount of fluid to maintain itself, such as saliva that cleanses the mouth. In the absence of these typical conditions in your vagina, you may experience vaginal disorders or infection.
How do I know that the vagina is healthy and has problems?
Warning symptoms or signs of an unhealthy vagina:
1- Burning and itching in the vagina and vulva 2- Excessive discharge 3- Red and painful mucous membranes 4- Appearance of wounds 5- Presence of a strange smell
6- Abnormal bleeding 7- Bleeding after intimate intercourse 8- Dryness in and around the vaginal area
11 ways to keep your vagina healthy:
1- Maintaining the vaginal pH without washing with soap:
Washing the vagina with detergents or soap affects the level of vaginal acidity, lowers the pH and causes bacterial contamination. Normally, the pH level of the vagina is 3.8: 4.5, if the vagina has an unpleasant odor, you should go to the doctor. Washing the vagina may eliminate the smell, but it does not cure the problem. Do not use strong cleansers in the vagina or vulva area as they can affect the vaginal pH balance.
2- Avoid fast food:
It’s unfortunate that fast food actually diverts the valence of the vagina due to the microorganisms and sugar in these meals. Doctors say that you should stay away from sugar, basic starches and concentrated fruit drinks to maintain the health of the vagina.
3- A healthy diet for vaginal health:
You may not understand it, but you can modify the diet by starting to eat nutrients and drink plenty of fluids because this is necessary for the health of the vagina. In fact, there are many who complain about the vaginal area. Cranberry juice and yogurt help avoid diseases and help treat them. There is also a complaint of vaginal dryness, which can be treated by eating soy seeds, as they contain estrogen.
4- Safe sex to avoid harmful bacteria:
Using condoms protects against sexually transmitted diseases. Example: HIV, genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Some of these diseases, such as HIV and genital herpes, have no cure. And more than that, there is a virus that causes warts to deform and eat the genitals. Condoms must be used when having oral or anal sex.
5- Smoking:
When you are a smoker, it is not only the lungs that are damaged but the tar and nicotine in cigarettes that negatively affect the bacterial equilibrium, which affects the health of the vagina.
6- Avoid antibiotics as much as possible:
Taking oral antibiotics can create a response chain that leads to the multiplication of yeast that negatively affects the health of the vagina. Therefore, doctors advise when taking an antibiotic, you should eat dairy products with it in abundance, to reduce the negative effects of the antibiotic.
7- Treatment of vaginitis:
There are three types of vaginal diseases which are yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis. Yeast contamination is caused by a small number of organisms, bacterial vaginosis is caused by excess bacteria in the vaginal area, and trichomoniasis is caused by sexual contact. These diseases must be treated as soon as they occur because ignoring treatment causes greater problems as it hinders the occurrence of pregnancy and has very painful and annoying symptoms. These diseases can be treated with topical or oral medications.
8- Choose the right clothes:
The skin of the vagina is very sensitive skin. Therefore, it is necessary to wear natural clothes made of cotton or silk, and avoid wearing clothes made of synthetic materials because they cause allergies due to the chemicals in them.
9- Follow up with the gynecologist for prevention:
It is necessary to conduct medical examinations for women to check on the health of the vagina. Every woman must do these tests at the age of 21 or upon marriage. The gynecologist can treat all vaginal diseases and can do a cervical scan to see changes that change the vaginal cells before they grow.
10- Rinse with water only:
Currently, many vaginal antiseptics are sold in the market, but doctors often advise not to use them and to use water only for rinsing.
11- Be careful when using soap:
Choose a soap that does not affect the pH balance of the vagina if you really need to use soap. It also does not dry out the skin. Doctors recommend the use of soap containing olive oil.