Tips From A Gynaecologist For A Healthy Vagina

The vagina is a complex organ, so ensuring your vagina is healthy and when you notice any abnormal signs, it’s important to visit a Gynaecologist swiftly.

Gynaecologists are dedicated to ensuring your vagina and other reproductive organs are healthy. They’ve received training to handle all reproductive health issues, so you shouldn't feel embarrassed when visitinga Gynaecologist near me.

Maintaining your vaginal health at home is possible with simple habits and lifestyle choices, but common vaginal issues can still occur even with proper vaginal care.

What can go wrong in your vagina?

An imbalance in the microorganisms in your vagina can cause discomfort and infections. The resulting abnormalities can result in a yeast infection, affecting about 75% of women at some point in their lives.

Common causes of yeast infection include:

• Using vaginal sprays and douches
• Diabetes
• Wearing tight clothing that does not let the vagina breathe
• Taking hormonal birth control
• Changes in hormone levels during breastfeeding, pregnancy, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• A weakened immune system

Another common condition is bacterial vaginosis, resulting from bacterial imbalance. This condition affects many women and causes an overgrowth of organisms in the vagina. This leads to proliferation of less healthy microorganisms such as lactobacillus, bacteria naturally residing in the digestive, urinary, and genital systems. Many women with bacterial vaginosis remain unaware of their condition.

In some cases, vaginal health issues are unavoidable, but simple treatments provided by a private gynaecologist and obstetrician at The Gynaecology Clinic can result in resolution of issues.

Taking certain steps to improve your vaginal health will reduce the risk of infections and imbalance of microorganisms. These expert tips can keep your vagina healthy:

• Allow your vagina to clean itself
  You shouldn’t feel embarrassed about an unclean vagina and try to use products that will make your vagina have a nice scent. Your vagina doesn’t need cleaning, but most people do not understand this because there is confusion surrounding the anatomy of the vagina.
  Most people think that the vagina is the entire female genital, but it is only the inner genital tract connecting to the cervix. The vulva however, is the outer part of the vagina that requires cleaning. Even when cleaning your vulva, you do not need cleaning products, warm water and, at most, pH-balanced or unscented soap are sufficient for cleaning. Avoid inserting any type of detergent into your vagina because it can alter the vagina’s pH, increasing the risk of infection.
• Help your vagina during sex
  Lubricant is good addition whether you are having sex with someone or alone. Most people use lube to enhance pleasure during sex, but it also helps women with vaginal dryness.
  Vaginal dryness can result from several causes, including genetics but can also occur from taking medications like hormonal birth control and antidepressants. The vagina can produce lubricant from a gland atthe entrance, but if this doesn’t occur, using a lubricant will make sex more comfortable.
  However, avoid lubricants containing glycerine. Glycerine is an odourless and colourless liquid in many water-based lubes, but it is a by-product of sugar, a good food source for microbes. When certain microbes feed on the sugar and multiply, an imbalance may occur, leading to BV and yeast infections. Ensure you do not use scented and flavoured products to prevent irritation.
• Protect yourself
  You need to protect yourself and your vagina from STIs by using protection like a condom during sex and undergoing STI screening regularly, however, avoid condoms with spermicides. Although spermicides can offer extra protection against pregnancy, they can cause vaginal irritation and inflammation.
  Nonoxynol-9, a common ingredient in spermicides, irritates sensitive tissues in the vagina. Using spermicides can also triple the risk of yeast infection because they can kill helpful bacteria.
• Know the effects of antibiotics
  Antibiotics may be good for treating illnesses but bad for the healthy bacteria in the vagina. Taking antibiotics can increase your risk of vaginal infections because they kill bacteria and inhibit their growth. Taking antibiotics for vaginal infections also has the same effect.
  If you develop an infection while taking antibiotics, ensure you see your gynaecologist. This condition is easily treatable, and you will feel more comfortable instead of waiting for the issue to self-resolve.
• Enhance the growth of friendly bacteria
  Some health experts advise people to take probiotics to prevent bacterial imbalance in the vagina. Some suggestions include taking food and supplements containing lactobacillus to balance the acidity and microflora in the vagina.
  Foods containing probiotics include pickles, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and yoghurt. Taking moderate amounts of these foods may not cause harm. Ensure you consult your doctor before taking any medicine or supplement.
• Your gynaecologist is your friend
  Having a gynaecologist is important for maintaining your reproductive health. Find a gynaecologist you feel comfortable with and like. You can go to the gynaecologist for different issues, from contraceptives to sexual health testing, pregnancy scans, and abortions, including any issue with your pelvic or vaginal region.
  Ensure you schedule annual exams to allow you to discuss any issues and monitor your health.

Treatment for vaginal infections

The treatment for most vaginal infections is an anti fungal or antibiotic medication. These are highly effective and require only a round of medication.

If you have any sexual or reproductive health issues and need to visit a private gynaecology clinic near me, opt for Gynaecology Clinic. You can contact 020 7183 0435 to book an appointment with a specialist gynaecologist.