Here are some things you can do to make your 'Vagina Happy'. We spoke to Dr. Deepa Dewan, Associate Director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Gurugram to know more about a healthy vagina.
A healthy vagina is a happy vagina, it is an organ that does not need too much care to stay healthy and happy. It’s an organ that has an acidic ph, in simple words, it takes care of itself if left on its own due to its acidic ph. This acidic ph itself prevents it from getting infected, keeping it healthy and happy.
Overuse of detergent, soaps, douching or cleaning the vagina and perineum changes this ph and makes it unhealthy and infected. Vagina has some commensal bacteria - lactobacillus, which colonises it and prevents the unhealthy bacteria from infecting the organ. So some steps that can be taken to keep the vagina happy are
Do not douche the vagina - douching leads to over-cleansing of the vagina and leads to removal of normal commensals and hence give a chance for abnormal bacteria, fungi and parasites to grow.
Safe sex - Use condoms during intercourse - Normal ph of the vagina is acidic, and ph of semen is alkaline. So the release of alkaline semen into the vagina, makes the vagina less acidic and hence more prone to infections.
Healthy diet - eating well-balanced diet with probiotics helps keep the lactobacillus count good and hence prevents infections
In case of abnormal discharge, get a checkup done and start medications -if the discharge has a foul smell, itching, and excessive amount, meet the doctor. Abnormal discharge can be curdy and itchy indicating a yeast infection, fishy odour can be due to bacterial vaginosis.
Regular pap test - get regular Pap smear tests done to rule out unhealthy cells in the cervix and vagina. A healthy cervix is a happy vagina. Also Read: Do you have hair loss? What are the reasons? Here's what you can do
Wear cotton loose-fitting undergarments. The fabric should be a breathable fabric like cotton, so sweat gets absorbed in the fabric, and this can be changed if wet. Also Read: Avoiding afternoon naps to coffee: 8 tips from expert for a good night's sleep
Good personal hygiene habits - like changing undergarments daily removing wet workout clothes / wet swimwear as soon as possible so humidity does not encourage infection in the vagina. While washing the perineum after defecation, put water from the front towards the back to avoid infecting the vagina or urine region. After washing the area, dab it dry with a clean cloth or tissue paper to keep it dry. If undergarments are wet, it should be changed.