All vaginas naturally produce scents, and to your surprise, the smell indicates the quality of your lifestyle and overall health. Vaginal Odor varies throughout your menstrual cycle. Your lady part may also produce a strong odor after intercourse or a workout.
The way you smell down there also depends on the pH level of your vagina. Healthy vaginas are supposed to smell like a part of the human body. Read on to find out exactly what vaginal odor is and how to maintain a healthy environment to prevent odor.
Why Do Vaginas Smell?
It’s normal to have a smell down there, even after bathing. Your vagina resides in a warm, dark place loaded with lymph nodes and glands. There are also sweat glands in the groin, further producing a musky odor.
Also, vaginal odor changes throughout the menstrual period. Here are some typical vaginal odors you may encounter.
How to Prevent Vaginal Odor? Care and Treatment
Now that you know about vaginal odor, let’s round off the key highlights to maintain a healthy vaginal environment. Scroll down and find the tips here.
1. Regular Cleaning
While female’s vagina has an auto-cleaning mechanism, it’s still important to clean the outer part and vulva regularly. Use mild, unscented soap and warm water to clean your vulva. Besides, you can use the vaginal washes, like VG Wash, to maintain a healthy vaginal environment.
This wash also helps maintain the pH level of your vagina, thus preventing bacterial growth and unpleasant smell. When cleaning your vagina, never douche or indulge in heavy cleaning, as it might wipe the good bacteria, thus leading to problems.
2. Practice Good Hygiene
It’s mandatory to practice intimate hygiene to get rid of vaginal odor. Shower regularly and wear a clean outfit after exercising. Make sure you don’t sit for too long in hot, sweaty clothes or in a damp swimsuit.
In addition, you also maintain menstrual hygiene, such as changing your sanitary pads after a few hours or using tampons instead of ordinary napkins.
3. Maintain a healthy diet
While it may seem awkward at first glance, it’s true that you must have to maintain a healthy diet to reduce vaginal odor. Our diet acts as a fuel for your body, and we respond accordingly.
Switching up your diet makes your vagina smell different and healthy. The worst offenders include garlic, onions, mint, blue cheese, cabbage, cauliflower, red meat, and vinegar. You must limit bad habits like smoking and alcohol to get rid of the pungent smell and maintain a healthy environment.
4. Wear Cotton Underwear
It’s not always about treatments when it comes to maintaining the vaginal odor. Sometimes, you can take some precautions and keep your vagina healthy. Avoid tight-fitting clothes, including thongs. Such clothing collect fecal matter that can reach the vagina, thus causing infections.
Wear cotton underwear that holds less moisture while making it more difficult for smell-producing bacteria to build up.
5. Drink More Water
Hydration often helps maintain the pH level of the vagina, thus avoiding the buildup of bad bacteria. Proper hydration helps keep bacterial overgrowth in check. It also avoids stress-related sweat, thus helping you get rid of the vaginal odor.
Those who avoid drinking water may experience a concentrated and foul smell. So, stay hydrated to eliminate such hassles.
Summing Up
Maintaining a healthy vaginal environment is important, especially if you want to remove the pungent vaginal odor. However, eliminating the smell starts with figuring out the key reason behind the same. So, it’s better to check what exactly leads to such odors and take precautionary measures accordingly. If you are experiencing prolonged abnormal vaginal odor, then feel free to visit the doctor and seek help.
FAQs
1. Why Do I Experiencing Strong Odor Down There?There are many reasons that lead to strong vaginal odor, such as bad hygiene, inappropriate diet, lifestyle, bacterial infection, wrong pH, and others.
If you are struggling with BV, then you might experience a stinky, fishy smell down there.
Some factors that temporarily change the vaginal odor are Ordinary Sweating, Sexual Activity, and Menstrual Cycle.
If you experience a prolonged vaginal smell followed by itching and a burning sensation, it’s advised to visit the doctor and seek medical assistance.
