Vaginal Odor Remedies

Vaginal odor, more politely referred to as feminine odor, is an issue many women are embarrassed to discuss.

If untreated, this unpleasant genital odor can linger for years; and it can arise in almost any woman of reproductive age.

The root cause of this odor for many women is an excessive amount of bad bacteria existing in the vagina; this can be caused by discharges occurring after menstruation or sex, by a bacterial infection, or by things as seemingly insignificant as tight clothes, insufficient hygiene, douching, or even too much washing.

For any women trying to find out how to get rid of vaginal odor, read on for some advice about feminine odor.

Yogurt can be a good defense against vaginal odor. This is because of the good bacteria that live in yogurt; these good bacteria help to keep the bad bacteria in check. Eating plain yogurt every day, or even inserting a tampon soaked in yogurt into the vagina, can help to combat vaginal odor.

Because of its anti-fungal properties, tea tree is also used to help eliminate the bad bacteria that may be contributing to vaginal odor. To address the issue of feminine odor with tea tree oil, simply wash the vagina with a mixture of lukewarm water and several drops of tea tree oil.

Vaginal odor can be kept at bay by avoiding overly tight clothing and panties; clothing that is too tight does not allow the vaginal area to "breathe" the way it needs to. For good air circulation in the vaginal area switch to all-cotton panties. Panty liners are another option to help absorb moisture and discharge.

Be careful not to unwittingly contribute to the odor by douching or too much washing in the vaginal area; either of these things can actually destroy the good bacteria that are necessary for vaginal health. Scented soaps and other forms of body wash can also aggravate the problem, so these should be avoided as well.

Another remedy that you may want to try is Femanol, a popular herbal supplement taken orally to get rid of vaginal odor. It contains antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral herbs and vitamins that helps eliminate the root cause of vaginal odor by destroying the odor-causing bacteria.

Insider Tips for Your Next Gynecologist Visit

Secrets from the gynecologist's office -- insider's tips you should hear before your next visit.

Every wondered what your GYNO was thinking or what kind of care your gynecologist gets? Here are some tips!
  1. Don't worry about shaving your legs. Really, If it is winter we probably haven't shaved ours either. We don't look at your legs and if you haven't shaved it really doesn't register with us. Really!
  2. Be careful about the shoes you wear. Why? Some of those cute summer shoes when worn without socks or nylons can produce a pretty distinctive odor. During an exam your feet are on either side of us, so any foot odor is coming to us in stereo.
  3. Do not have sex 48 hours before your exam. Sperm and semen can hang around for 48 hours in the vagina. Enough said!
  4. If you are on your period call to speak with a nurse and find out if you should come. If it is for a Pap smear and your doctor uses a liquid based method it won't be a problem but it is with traditional glass slide collection methods. If your problem is vaginal discharge reschedule, we won't see anything but blood in your sample if you are on your period. If your problem is abnormal or heavy blooding come on in when you are on your period. It may even make some of the tests easier.
  5. Don't use baby wipes on your bottom. Not ever. They actually contain a lot of chemicals and can cause allergic reactions and even paradoxically increase vaginal odor.
  6. Same goes for douches. Not ever. Douches are as bad for the vagina as cigarettes are for the lungs. The packaging even contains similar warnings! Douches increase your risk of getting very serious infections in the genital tract.
  7. Every wonder what your GYNO uses for birth control? One of the most popular methods is an IUD, specifically Mirena IUD as by 1 year 80 percent of women will have no periods or very light periods.
  8. Buy the morning after pill and keep it at home. You are more likely to use it if you have it at home.
Article source: http://abclocal.go.com