Gynecological health tips

The vast majority of daily gynecological problems are caused by wrong living habits rather than "dirty". Don't be overly anxious and don't let it go. If you have problems, go to a gynecologist in a regular hospital first, which is far better than searching Baidu and trusting popular folk remedies on the internet.

I have been practicing in gynecology clinics for almost 8 years and have seen too many patients who "make" small problems bigger. I just saw a 22-year-old girl last week. Her vulva was only slightly itchy during ovulation. I watched a short video and saw a "nursing blogger" who said that washing the inside with antibacterial lotion can "deep clean and prevent inflammation." After a week of washing, the itching did not stop, but she started to have a bean-like leucorrhea. I came to check that it was severe fungal vaginitis. It should be mentioned here that the current mainstream guidelines in the international obstetrics and gynecology community clearly oppose any form of vaginal douching - the vaginal flora itself is like a balanced small ecology. When beneficial bacteria dominate, it can resist foreign enemies. If you use lotion every day, it is equivalent to driving away the "security guards", and harmful bacteria will naturally take advantage of it. Of course, some people think that if you have just finished swimming, public hot springs and other activities, it is okay to occasionally use a weakly acidic private part care solution to only wash the vulva, but you must not wash it inside. This degree must be controlled.

When it comes to cleanliness, many people still have an obsession: underwear must be hand washed and boiled to be clean. In fact, this is not necessarily the case. I once had a patient who worked as an accountant and loved to be clean. He washed his underwear by hand for ten minutes every day, poured a lot of underwear cleaning solution every time, rinsed it twice and then hung it in the bathroom to dry. As a result, he suffered from recurrent vulvitis for half a year and it didn't heal. Later, I asked her to try throwing the underwear in the washing machine, add special clothing disinfectant and wash it separately from other clothes. After washing, I directly hung it on the balcony to expose it to the sun. Within three weeks, it didn't happen again. It’s not that hand washing is wrong, but many people either leave laundry detergent behind when washing by hand, or leave it to dry in an unventilated place, leaving space for bacteria to breed. As long as the washing machine is cleaned regularly and disinfected before washing, machine washing is more reliable than unclean hand washing. Some people like to wear panty liners every day because they feel "anti-dirty". Except for temporary use during the two or three days during ovulation when there is a lot of vaginal discharge, don't wear them every day. Non-breathable panty liners are more likely to breed bacteria when the temperature is high than anything else.

Many people privately ask whether they can have sex during the aunt period, which has also been a controversial topic for a long time. Some people think that as long as both parties are well cleaned, wear condoms throughout the whole process, and there is no obvious discomfort, it is okay once in a while. However, from the perspective of a clinician, I still advise everyone not to take this risk. During menstruation, the cervix is ​​open, and the pelvic cavity is already congested. Sexual intercourse can easily bring in bacteria from the outside. In mild cases, the menstrual period will be prolonged and dysmenorrhea will be aggravated. In severe cases, it may cause pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and even affect future pregnancies. Don't use "you won't get pregnant if you have sex during menstruation" as an excuse. The low probability does not mean it is completely impossible. If something goes wrong, you will be the one to blame.

There is another pitfall that 90% of office girls have encountered: sitting for eight or nine hours without moving, and always crossing their legs. The lower part is airtight, and the temperature is two or three degrees higher than normal temperature. The bacteria multiply several times. Many people suffer from genital itching repeatedly. In fact, there is no need to prescribe medicine. As long as you stand up and walk for two minutes every hour, replace tight jeans and tummy control pants with loose pants, and wear pure cotton underwear, most of the symptoms will be relieved in half a month.

Finally, let’s talk about the most alarming thing about HPV positivity. Many girls cry as soon as they are found to be positive, thinking that they are going to get cervical cancer. Some people spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy health products and medicines that claim to be able to “turn negative”. It is really unnecessary. 80% of women will be infected with HPV at least once in their lives, and 90% of them are transient. Their own immunity can clear the virus within 1-2 years. Currently, there is no specific drug for HPV. The interferon on the market only plays an auxiliary role. Evidence-based medical evidence shows that its help in clearing the virus is very limited. Of course, this does not mean that you can completely ignore it and do regular HPV+TCT joint screening. If there is a persistent high-risk infection or abnormal TCT results, just follow the doctor’s instructions for further examination. There is no need to spend money to pay the IQ tax, and don’t delay treatment.

In fact, gynecological health is really not that mysterious. Don’t be led away by online anxiety marketing. Be less self-critical about “Am I not clean enough?” Keep a regular schedule, stay up less late and exercise more. If you feel uncomfortable, go directly to a regular hospital. It will be more effective than any other folk remedies.