Do you remember learning about pH balance in high school? You may have dismissed it then, but it comes in handy when learning about the female body. The female body is sophisticated and needs to be handled with care. One of the things that you have to control is also a balance of the pH levels.
A healthy vagina usually has an acidic pH with values between 3.8 and 4.5. An acidic environment will create a barrier with its good bacteria, to protect you from yeast infections, and growth of unhealthy bacteria. However, a higher pH level, above 4.5, will put you at risk of getting diseases, such as bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that you keep your pH levels balanced. How do you do so?
Avoid Douching
Douching will interfere with the normal pH levels of the vagina. By doing this, your pH levels will increase, hence leaving you vulnerable to infections. Also, it is vital to note that the vagina is self-cleaning and does not require you to use harsh soaps when showering. It is advised to use warm water and mild soap to clean the outside, but ensure that you do not use any soap inside the vagina.
Eat A Healthy Diet
You are what you eat! You need to realize that eating unhealthy food will affect the body negatively and interfere with its pH balance. Ensure that you follow a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids during the day. Some specific foods can also help in treating vaginal problems. An example is yogurt, which helps to prevent yeast infections and also aid in the treatment of the disease. This is because it is usually rich in probiotics; thus, it will help restore the normal bacterial levels. It is crucial, however, to note that you should drink the yogurt, and not put it inside the vagina. Doing that can worsen the situation since yeast feeds on sugar.
Practice Safe Sex
As much as this may sound cliché, practicing safe sex will protect you from many STIs and infections such as HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and genital herpes. Having these infections can be frustrating, especially genital herpes and HIV, which have no cure. It is therefore advised to use condoms when having sex to prevent harmful bacteria from making their way into your vagina. Using barrier protection such as condoms and dental dams will go a long way to ensure that your pH levels are balanced.
Additional Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Vaginal pH
When it comes to some health tips, they can be quite outlandish but for keeping the pH of your vagina health it’s pretty simple.
Consider taking a women’s probiotic supplement. Some highly rated brands online include Viva Naturals, Renew Life and Intimate Rose.
Eat foods with naturally occurring probiotics, like yogurt. There’s nothing like supplementing an already great diet!
Last but not least, make sure you don’t skip your annual or regular ob-gyn visits.
Closing
Having an unbalanced pH can affect your body and cause odor, infections and other complications later in life. It is, therefore, crucial to know how one can keep pH levels balanced, to ensure the health and function of one’s reproductive system.
By following the above steps, you will be closer to ensuring that your vagina is in perfect health! If you have signs such as a foul smell, vaginal itching, burning feeling when urinating and unusual discharge, you should see a doctor immediately.
