All those tossing and turning your legs as something does not feel right down there! Yet we women tend to ignore our vagina calling out for help. Ever thought why do you feel irritation, swelling, burning sensation, smell a foul odour in your vagina? If you have been seeing any such symptoms, then ladies please be alert! And get yourself checked by a doctor at the earliest. You never know but you might be witnessing a vaginal infection.
If diagnosed early and with proper treatment, vaginal infections can be cured. Though, few of them are incurable.
Every 3 out of 4 women are likely to get a vaginal infection once in their life. Some might get it multiple times in their lifetime.
But with proper vaginal care, maintaining a balanced diet and grooming the vaginal area, some of the vaginal infections can be kept at bay.
Wondering how one can get exposed to a vaginal infection?
A healthy vagina contains some bacteria and yeast cells. When there is a disturbance in the ratio of bacteria and yeast cells, it affects the healthy pH balance of your vagina. This, in turn, can lead to a vaginal infection.
Here are a few things that may disturb the healthy pH balance of your vagina:
- Washing your vagina with soap
- Using any soap, scented or chemical product around your vagina
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Hormonal Imbalance
- Unprotected sex
- Smoking
- Poor eating habits
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
Here are a few common symptoms of vaginal infection:
- Burning sensation while peeing
- Painful or uncomfortable sex
- Itching, swelling or irritation around your vagina
- Change in colour, texture or smell of your vaginal discharge
Let’s take a look at some of the common caused vaginal infections.
Yeast Vaginal Infection
Yeast infection, also known as Candidiasis occurs when the amount of yeast in your vagina exceeds the normal. It is not an STI. Though, there is an increased risk of a vaginal yeast infection at the time of first regular sexual activity. Women who have diabetes and if they are on antibiotics or steroids, then they are more likely to develop this type of infection.
Lactobacillus is the bacteria which keeps Candida’s growth in check. But if there’s an imbalance in your system, this bacteria won’t work effectively causing irritation. This leads to an overgrowth of yeast, which causes the symptoms of yeast infections.
Bacterial Vaginosis
A healthy vagina has bacteria in it. But a disturbance in the balance of good bacteria and bad bacteria can cause bacterial vaginosis. It happens when the healthy bacteria in the vagina has grown too much.
It is not considered a sexually transmitted infection. Though, it can transmit through sexual contact. It is more common in women with multiple sexual partners. But, there have been few cases where women who have had no sexual contact in their entire lives have also been infected by this.
Trichomoniasis or Trichomonas
Trichomoniasis, also known as Trich, is a common Sexually Transmitted Infection. Trichomonas vaginalis is the parasite that causes trich.
This type of infection can be seen in people who are sexually active. It can pass from one sexual organ to the other by just coming in contact with one. If your sexual partner has this type of infection, then it is very likely that you may also get it. But you don’t need to worry as it can be cured with proper treatment.
That’s it about vaginal infections! We hope that this post gives you an idea about why it is caused.
To know more about the symptoms and preventions of the above-mentioned vaginal infections, please give this blog post a read.
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