Vagina Health Tips for a Sweet Smell & Optimum Health

All women need to be aware of their vagina’s health. Keeping it healthy means you will avoid infections and also have a pleasant odor and the tips enclosed will ensure that you have optimum vagina health

A healthy vagina is home to a huge variety of minute organisms. Normally, they live harmoniously in an acidic environment that prevents the overproduction of any one species in the vagina and helps combat foreign bodies that can infect it.

Vaginal infections are common and occur when the delicate balance is disrupted can cause discomfort in the area and unpleasant smells.

Firstly, the health of a women’s Vagina and the smell are influenced by overall lifestyle, diet and weight.

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If you follow the tips below you can ensure a healthy vagina so here they are:

1. Your Overall Diet

Eat a healthy diet. Cigarettes alcohol and drugs should be eliminated if you can or cut down, as should heavily spiced foods and junk food.

Try and eat as naturally as possible (food free of additives) and make sure you drink lots of water. What you put into your body comes out in its secretions and the vagina is the same. Ever noticed how your sweat smells differently after eating spiced food, then you will realize why this is so important.

2. Cleaning

Odor-producing bacteria can thrive on the vulva and need to be cleaned off regularly to prevent vaginal inflections and prevent odors.

Washing the genital area daily with a simple, fragrance-free soap is normally enough to keep the vagina area clean and fresh.

Your vagina self-cleans itself so douching is not required.

Furthermore, douching upsets the delicate balance between good and bad bacteria in the vaginal ecosystem and can actually be harmful.

Because infections such as yeasts are found in the intestine, it is important after going to the toilet to wipe front to back i.e. you need to wipe the vagina area first and the rectum last!

During sex it is also very important to avoid contamination of the vagina area with organisms and bodies from the bowel, or rectum area.

3. Clothes to wear

To prevent vaginal infections and keep your vagina healthy make sure your clothing allows the area to breath. To do this avoids tight garments and fabrics containing a high percentage of synthetic fibers such as nylon.

Remember, that tampons and diaphragms left for too long in the vagina can create a very strong unpleasant odor as well.

4. Safe sex

Finally, if you don’t know your partner very well, always Use a condom and a spermicidal to reduce the chances of infection and disease.

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If you are unlucky enough to get an infection, the symptoms are outlined below of three of the most common ones.

The good news is that to reclaim a healthy vagina is easy, if you are alerted to the problem and take action.

1. Bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) accounts for more than 50% of all vagina related health visits.

About half of all women with BV vaginal infections have no obvious symptoms.

The most common symptom is a thin, white to light grey discharge with an offensive fishy like smell that is extremely unpleasant.

The odor is strongest when the discharge is exposed to any alkaline substance and this includes soap and semen, it will therefore be at its strongest and most obvious after cleaning or sex.

BV is easy to treat and is normally treated by a course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor.

2. Yeast

Although yeast infections are probably the most common type of vaginal infection, many women never bother to seek help.

Most simply recover naturally and others treat themselves with anti-fungal vaginal creams available without prescription from the chemist.

Symptoms of yeast infections include:

Vulvar itching combined with irritation in the vagina area and redness.

If the urinary opening becomes inflamed, urination will increase and discomfort will be present. If the infection is severe, the vulva will swell and fine breaks, called fissures occur. This causes vaginal discharges to become thicker and whiter.

Yeast infections are the result of excessive growth of a family of fungi that normally live in any healthy vagina, but when they increase the balance of the vagina is upset and problems occur.

The most common infection is vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which is usually caused by a fungus named Candida albicans.

There are two types of VVC:

Uncomplicated, a mild infection that responds to therapy. Or recurrent which, is more severe and often occurs in women who have diabetes or are infected with less treatable forms of yeast, such as Candida glabratia.

Recurrent VVC, normaly occurs more than four times a year and needs a long initial treatment of around two weeks and then a follow-up therapy course for up to 6 months or longer.

Certain factors are common causes such as nylon and Lycra clothing that traps heat and moisture, so be aware of our clothing tips for a healthy vagina we noted earlier.

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Other common causes include:

Obesity, pregnancy, diabetes and suppression of the immune system during illnesses, the use of oral contraceptives, and eating excessive amounts of sugars, starch, and yeasts.

If you do have a yeast vaginal infection, your doctor will ordinarily treat you with either prescription or nonprescription antifungal creams and suppositories referred to earlier.

If you have a problem get professional help and you will soon have a healthy vagina. Do not ignore symptoms or think they will go away get help quickly.

3. Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, or “trich,” is a sexually transmitted vaginal infection suffered by a huge amount of women worldwide and this runs into tens of millions. While infection with trichomoniasis can be uncomfortable, it is not in anyway a serious threat to overall health.

The symptoms are normally vulvar and vaginal burning and itching. The burning is normally at its height after intercourse.

In addition, there may be vulvar swelling and frequent and uncomfortable urination. There is a heavy vaginal discharge, usually yellowish or green, which may or may not have an offensive smell.

The trichomonad is a minute parasite. It has three tails at its narrow end and swims with them and the white blood cells of the body follow.

These blood cells literally chase down the trichomonad and kill it by eating it.

Symptoms occur only when the body’s natural defense are swamped by with sheer number of reproducing trichomonads and the white blood cells cannot cope.

Trichomoniasis is usually easily diagnosed and antibiotic treatment cures it in the majority of cases.

Follow the tips above for a healthy vagina and if you do have a problem don’t worry or be embarrassed simply seek help quickly and clear up the problem, in the vast majority of cases treatment is quick, easy and painless

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Watching for Candida Symptoms: The First Steps Towards Prevention and Quick Recovery

Candidiasis, pronounced kahn-di-diya-sis, is more commonly known as thrush or yeast infection. It is caused by a type of fungi called Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is a type of yeast. And yeast is a kind of fungi (like mushrooms and molds). If you’re familiar with fungi then you would know that these thrive in moist and slightly exposed areas. The same thing applies when it comes to your body. It is therefore common to find candidiasis in parts of the body like the mouth, the genitals and other areas where skin folds and keeps a lot of moisture.

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But candida is most commonly found in your digestive system. The reason why people don’t get sick because of the mere presence of candida is because good bacteria (called probiotics) keep the candida in check, preventing the fungi from growing to an extent it will do harm to your body.

However, if there is an overgrowth of fungi, your body will react negatively in several ways. The most common of which are:

- Problems in the digestive system Since it is mostly present in your body, the first to react when there is candida overgrowth will be here. Common symptoms are irregular bowel movement (constipation or diarrhea), bloating and cramps.

- Manifestation of several allergies (food or with other elements like dander or pollen) This is can be particularly tricky because you could mistake the symptom for a simple allergic reaction. To get a better idea of knowing whether this is candida-triggered or not, observe whether your allergy coincides with other symptoms mentioned.

- Rashes and itching on localized areas of the body, even the mouth. Skin problems that involve flaking and / or “weeping” of the skin (cutaneous candidiasis) that are also indicated by small pustules on the affected area.

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- Creamy, white patches inside the mouth are called thrush and are found commonly on the tongue, palate and lips. Moist, but crusty skin at the corners of the mouth is also common.

- Itching and burning sensation in the vaginal area (more commonly known as yeast infection). Studies show that 75% of women would experience this kind of symptom at least once. A thick white or grayish discharge is often present around the vagina. Pain and discomfort during sexual intercourse is also possible.

- Frequent bouts of colds. Fungi do not have a direct cause on colds, but they do have an effect on the immune system. And when the immune system is weakened, you are more prone to catch colds and / or the flu.

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The abovementioned symptoms are of the more localized variety and usually, when addressed early, treatment can be simple and recovery quick. However, left unattended, the effects of candidasis can become very serious with symptoms such as:

- Headaches and irritability or being unable to concentrate or getting dizzy easily. This is simply more than just the result of an uncomfortable state due to other symptoms. Problems with concentration could be an indicator that the nervous system is already affected. Exhaustion despite the fact you did not exert too much activity is another indicator that the infection has spread throughout the body and is already systemic (deep candidiasis). More serious steps need to be taken to address the condition.

Despite these alarming indicators there are good news. The first is that most people infected with candidiasis can be treated without having real permanent damage done to their bodies.

The second good news is that people, who get well from candidiasis, for as long as they keep healthy, will be unlikely to undergo the disease the second time. Even those diagnosed with deep candidiasis, for as long as treatment is administered immediately to prevent the infection from reaching major organs, have good prospects for full recovery.

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Charlene Nuble - EzineArticles Expert Author

Charlene J. Nuble 2006.

For answers to All your frequently asked questions about candida, please go to: http://www.candidaanswers.com/