Gynecological health and wellness advice

Don’t overly interfere with the body’s normal flora, don’t disrupt your own hormone rhythm, and regular screening always takes precedence over folk remedies.

Don’t believe it. I met a 28-year-old girl in the outpatient clinic last week. Because she read on the Internet that “washing the inside will make it clean,” she used antibacterial lotion to flush her vagina every day for three months. She didn’t have any problems at first. However, she suddenly washed away all the lactobacilli that maintain the acidic environment of the vagina. She was so itchy that she couldn’t sit still. She came to check for fungal vaginitis. I took dozens of dollars of medicine. I stopped washing the lotion at home for half a month and it was completely cured. Of course, this does not mean that all lotions cannot be used. If you have been diagnosed with vaginal inflammation, the medicinal lotions prescribed by the doctor must of course be used according to the doctor's instructions. However, in a healthy state, flushing the vulva with warm water every day is enough. The vagina has its own self-purification function. If you flush it randomly, it will not help. There are also those "private parts detoxification" and "pink tenderization projects" that are so popular in beauty salons. I have met several people who suffered from contact dermatitis after the procedures. The skin of the private parts is many times more delicate than the skin on the face, so how can it withstand those messy and unknown ingredients?

Many people always think that gynecological problems are caused by "lack of hygiene". In fact, this is not the case. Almost half of menstrual disorders and ovulation bleeding are caused by enduring or holding back. Last month, there was a 32-year-old Internet operator who worked on a project for more than three months. He stayed up until two or three o'clock every day. He was so stressed that he cried when he got home. His aunt didn't come to the door for two months. Her hormones and B-ultrasounds showed no organic problems. I gave her a "special medical order": no matter how busy she is every day, she should take 20 minutes to go downstairs and walk around. She must lie down before 12 o'clock, and she does not need to take medicine for the time being. As a result, she went back and did the same thing for a month, and her aunt reported on time the next month. Of course, this does not mean that things like brown sugar ginger tea and motherwort are useless. If you suffer from dysmenorrhea and irregular menstrual blood due to colds, drinking a cup of warm ginger tea will indeed make you feel more comfortable. However, if it is hormone fluctuations caused by staying up late and being stressed, drinking ten pounds of ginger tea will not be as effective as going to bed early for a week. Don’t reverse the cause and effect.

Oh, by the way, there is another point that people often overlook, which is the habit of wearing clothes. A while ago, a little girl from high school came over. She shyly said that her lower body hurt and she couldn't sit still. She was diagnosed with vulvitis. After asking for a long time, she found out that she wore two layers of tight safety pants and non-breathable jeans every day in order to not look fat when she wore school uniform pants. The pain caused it for more than half a month. Many girls always wear tight pants and chemical fiber lace underwear in order to look good. In fact, it is really unnecessary. Just choose pure cotton underwear produced by regular manufacturers. There is no need to pursue "antibacterial underwear" that costs hundreds of dollars. As long as you change it every day, wash it and put it in the sun to dry. The protective effect is not much different between 3 pairs for 10 yuan and one for dozens of dollars. There is no need to pay this IQ tax.

Another thing that must be mentioned is regular screening. Many girls usually spend thousands of dollars on skin care products and don't feel bad about it. They avoid going for a gynecological examination when it comes to it. If they don't feel uncomfortable, they don't need it. This is really not the case. After having sex, doing TCT (liquid-based thin-layer cytology test) and HPV (human papillomavirus) screening once a year is the most effective way to prevent cervical cancer. It is more effective than how many health products you eat that are called "anti-HPV". Nowadays, many businesses promote that taking certain supplements can turn HPV negative. To be honest, there are currently no effective oral medicines for HPV in the world. 90% of infections will naturally turn negative within 1-2 years depending on their own immunity. Those supplements are only an auxiliary function at most, and it is really not worth spending thousands to buy them. Of course, this does not mean that supplements are completely useless. If your own immunity is particularly poor, the doctor will also recommend that you take appropriate supplements of vitamins and selenium, but the premise is to follow the doctor's advice and don't buy them blindly.

Oh, by the way, there is another question that is often asked: Can I wash my hair and eat ice during menstruation? There is really no unified answer to this, it all depends on how your body feels. If your body is usually hot and you eat a popsicle during menstruation and blow-dry your hair immediately after washing, and you don’t feel any discomfort at all, then that’s totally fine and you don’t have to endure it. If you have a cold in your uterus and it hurts so much that you break into a cold sweat when you eat something cold, then you must avoid eating it. Don’t make it difficult for yourself. Don’t believe all the black and white “menstrual taboos” on the Internet.

Finally, speaking back to the truth, I have been in the gynecology department for almost ten years, and I have seen too many girls who messed up and caused problems on their own. On the contrary, those who are careless, do not use personal care products blindly, do not stay up late, and remember to have physical examinations every year, basically have no problems. Gynecological health really doesn’t have that many bells and whistles. Just treat it as you would to protect your face or nourish your stomach. Follow your own body and don’t make mistakes. If you feel uncomfortable, first go to a doctor in a regular hospital. The registration fee of more than ten yuan is more reliable than any Internet celebrity’s health advice.