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Get accurate information about vaginitis
Seonhwa Jeong, CEO of Second Bom Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic
If vaginitis is a common disease among women, even small children cannot avoid it. What efforts should we make as parents?
The space between a woman’s vagina and anus is called the perineum, and it is shorter in children than in adults. Consequently, it is easy for E. coli from the anus invades the vagina, which can lead to vaginitis. Furthermore, the process of displaying and eliminating stool is immature, therefore exposed to the risk of vaginitis. Therefore, if your child’s discharge is different than usual or if your child has symptoms of itching and scratching in the genital area, you need to visit an obstetrician and gynecologist for treatment.
Candida is often cited as the cause of bad odor.
In reality, the bacteria causing the bad odor is not Candida. To be precise, it is a fungus called Gardnerella vaginalis. This bacterium is a common bacterium that normally lives in our vagina. Normally, our vagina contains 99% lactobacilli and 1% various bacteria. This 1% includes Gardnerella vaginalis. Gardnerella vaginalis is the most common cause of bacterial vaginosis, causing a fishy odor and producing yellow vaginal discharge. Treatment is simple with oral antibiotics or antibiotic ointments.
Can vaginitis be completely cured?
Right. Most vaginitis can be completely cured. Depending on the causative bacteria, antibiotics, antifungals or antivirals can be taken. However, once genital herpes is caused by the herpes virus, the main causative agent of sexually transmitted diseases, the virus remains dormant in our body for the rest of our lives, causing the symptoms to appear and disappear repeatedly. Fortunately, herpes responds well to antiviral medications, so symptoms improve quickly when you take medications.
If I keep myself clean every day with feminine cleanser, won’t I get vaginitis?
If you keep your vulva clean, the risk of getting vaginitis will be greatly reduced, but some vaginitis is caused by sexually transmitted infections and some vaginitis is caused by an individual’s weakened immunity, so feminine cleansers do not prevent all vaginitis. In fact, excessive cleansing can cause vaginitis.
Is there a way to maintain a healthy vagina in daily life?
It is necessary to maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough rest, and it is also important to have a healthy sex life without having multiple sexual partners. It is also recommended to take vaginal lactic ferments and to use feminine cleansers only on the vulva. Most importantly, if vaginitis occurs, consult a gynecologist immediately.
Vaginitis, prevention of recurrence is more important
Vaginitis is easy to cure, but another problem is that it can easily return if the beneficial bacteria in the vagina disappear due to low immunity or poor lifestyle habits. If you make a mistake, it can become chronic, which is why it is necessary to adopt a preventative attitude through correct habits.
1 Use a slightly acidic feminine cleanser
Since the acidity inside the vagina needs to be kept at a slightly acidic level, it is best to use a slightly acidic feminine cleanser rather than an alkaline soap or shower gel. However, it is better to use feminine cleanser 2-3 times a week rather than every day. This is because if you wash the inside of your vagina excessively, the beneficial bacteria are also removed.
2 Wash gently with warm water.
If you wash with hot water because you think it will kill bacteria, you should be careful because it can irritate the vulva and cause vaginal dryness.
3 Cleaning inside the vagina is prohibited!
Sometimes, tools such as a dropper are inserted deep into the vagina to cleanse, but this method is not recommended because beneficial bacteria could be washed away or harmful bacteria could enter. If you really want to cleanse yourself, it is better to consult a specialist.
4 Wear pure cotton underwear
To prevent vaginitis, it is best to wear pure cotton underwear. The reason is that any bacteria remaining in the underwear can be removed by boiling it immediately. Also, because bacteria can easily thrive in a poorly ventilated environment, avoid wearing tight underwear or pants and wear well-ventilated cotton underwear.
5 If possible, avoid using panty liners
Panty liners are not well ventilated and can create a humid environment in the Y-zone, so it is best not to use them if possible. If you need to use it, replace it every 2-3 hours to keep it clean.
6 Reduce your sugar intake
Sugar is stored in the vaginal walls in the form of glycogen (a polysaccharide made up of numerous glucose molecules). It is used as food for the beneficial bacteria in the vagina, but if you consume too much sugar, your blood sugar level will increase, which is not only harmful to your health, but you have to be careful because when sugar increases inside the vagina, it can become food for Candida bacteria.
7 Refrain from drinking alcohol
Consuming alcohol can further worsen inflammatory diseases such as vaginitis, so you must work to abstain from consuming it.
8 Get enough sleep
The biggest enemies of vaginitis are stress and low immunity. As fatigue builds, your body’s balance may be disrupted and you may be exposed to other bacteria, including fungi that cause vaginitis.
#Management #prevention #vaginitis #obstetriciangynecologist
