A healthy vagina is not just one healthy body part but also is an indication that a woman likely to be free of disease in the reproductive tract, is likely to have a normal sex life and so on.
It is likely that you have a unhealthy vagina if it has –
Vaginal Odor – Any foul or unusual smell from the vagina, such as fishy odor indicates the presence of an infection or overgrowth of yeast or other bacterial imbalance.
Vaginal Discharge – more than normal discharge, a changed color of consistency of discharge and other abnormalities of vaginal discharge could indicate presence of in infection or an otherwise unhealthy vagina.
Itching – There should ordinarily be no itching if your vagina is healthy and if there is itching in or around the vagina, it could be the symptom of a problem.
Abnormal lubrication – A healthy and normal vagina will produce the usual amount of lubrication when aroused; to facilitate comfortable sex.
Pain or discomfort – When your vagina is in good health, there should no be pain, discomfort, swelling tenderness and so on. If there is, determine the reason why. If there is pain during sex, this could also be an indication that there may be something wrong which needs attention.
The appearance of the vagina should also be normal, and the presence of any discolorations, warts, and abnormal growths and so on should alert a woman about a possible underlying problem.
How to Keep your Vagina Healthy
If you are fortunate enough to have a healthy vagina, then you should take care to keep it that way. Make sure that you –
Maintain good hygiene – It goes without saying that good hygiene is an important component of keeping the vagina healthy. Regular bathing or showering, and keeping the area dry are important. Change sanitary towels and tampons regularly to avoid irritation and other more serious problems.
Eat healthy – There are certain foods that promote yeast infection such as highly refined food and also food high in sugar and so on. Avoiding them can help maintain the balance of bacteria in the vagina. Also eating things such as yoghurt can help.
Don’t douche – Though some of us were brought up to believe that douching is necessary for a healthy vaginal, it isn’t. In fact it can destroy good bacteria along with the bad bacteria and may be detrimental.
Practice safe sex – Always be responsible about all sexual encounters and always practice safe sex. Use condoms each time if not in a stable, safe and long term relationship. Also consider the use of dental dams or gloves.
Breathable underwear – Keeping the vaginal area dry is a big part of good vaginal health, because warm, moist places are where most infections thrive. To this end wear breathable underwear made from natural fabrics, or at least underwear with a cotton crotch. If possible minimize use of thongs since these are known to increase risk of urinary tract infection.
Visit the Gynecologist regularly – In the interests of a healthy vagina, make sure that you visit your gynecologist regularly as well.
