What can I do to keep my vagina healthy?


You can take steps to protect your vaginal health and overall health. For example:

Be sexually responsible. Use condoms or maintain a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who's free of sexually transmitted infections. If you use intimacy gadgets, clean them after every use.

Get vaccinated. Vaccinations can protect you from HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer, as well as hepatitis B a serious liver infection that can spread through sexual contact.

Do Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises can help tone your pelvic floor muscles if you have prolapse, leaking of urine or weakness of the pelvic floor.

Know your medications. Discuss medication use and possible vaginal side effects with your doctor.

Limit the amount of alcohol you drink and don't smoke. Chronic alcohol abuse can impair sexual function. Nicotine might inhibit sexual arousal. Substance abuse might also cause poor physical and mental health, which can affect sexual function.

While not all vaginal problems can be prevented, regular checkups can help ensure that problems affecting your vagina are diagnosed as soon as possible.

Don't let embarrassment prevent you from seeking help any concerns you might have about your vaginal health.


Cheers and Happy Sunday


Sam Health Wise

What are signs or symptoms of vaginal problems?

Seek for help if you notice:

A change in the color, odor or amount of vaginal discharge

Vaginal redness or itching

Vaginal bleeding between periods, after sex or after menopause

A mass or bulge in your vagina

Pain during intercourse

You might not need to see your doctor every time you have vaginal irritation and discharge, particularly if you've been diagnosed with a vaginal yeast infection in the past and you're experiencing similar signs and symptoms.

However, if you choose to use an over-the-counter medication and your symptoms don't go away, get help.


Sam Health Wise

What are the most common vaginal problems?


Conditions that might affect your vagina include:

Sexual problems. These might include persistent or recurrent pain just before, during or after sex (dyspareunia). Pain during penetration might be caused by involuntary spasms of the muscles of the vaginal wall (vaginismus). The muscles in the pelvic floor can become tense, causing chronic pain and pain during intercourse. Vaginal dryness, often occurring after menopause, can also cause pain during intercourse.


Sexually transmitted infections. Various sexually transmitted infections can affect the vagina, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital warts, syphilis and genital herpes. Signs might include abnormal vaginal discharge or genital sores.


Vaginitis. An infection or change in the normal balance of vaginal yeast and bacteria can cause inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis). Symptoms include vaginal discharge, odor, itching and pain. Common types of vaginitis include bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and trichomoniasis.

Pelvic floor relaxation. If the supporting ligaments and connective tissues that hold the uterus and the vaginal walls in place become weak, the uterus, bladder, rectum or the vaginal walls might slip down (prolapse). This might cause urine leakage during coughing and sneezing or a bulge in the vagina.

Other rare conditions. Vaginal cysts can cause pain during sex or make it difficult to insert a tampon. Vaginal cancer which might first appear as vaginal bleeding after menopause or sex also is a rare possibility.

Vagina: What's normal, what's not

Vaginal health is an important part of a woman's overall health. Vaginal problems can affect your fertility, desire for sex and ability to reach orgasm. Ongoing vaginal health issues can also cause stress or relationship problems and impact your self-confidence. Know the signs and symptoms of vaginal problems and what you can do to protect your vaginal health.

What affects vaginal health?

The vagina is a closed muscular canal that extends from the vulva the outside of the female genital area to the neck of the uterus (cervix). Various factors can affect the health of your vagina, including:

Sex. Unprotected sex can result in a sexually transmitted infection. Forceful sex or an injury to the pelvic area can result in vaginal trauma.
Certain health conditions or treatments. Conditions, such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, might cause painful sex. Scarring from pelvic surgery and certain cancer treatments also can cause painful sex. Use of some antibiotics increases the risk of a vaginal yeast infection.

Birth control and feminine-hygiene products. Barrier contraceptives, such as condoms, diaphragms and associated spermicide, can cause vaginal irritation. The use of sprays, deodorants or douches may cause irritation or make existing irritation worse.
Pregnancy and childbirth. If you become pregnant, you'll stop menstruating until after your baby is born. During pregnancy, vaginal discharge often increases. Vaginal tears are relatively common during childbirth. In some cases, an episiotomy an incision made in the tissue of the vaginal opening during childbirth is needed. A vaginal delivery can also decrease muscle tone in the vagina.

Psychological issues. Anxiety and depression can contribute to a low level of arousal and resulting discomfort or pain during sex. Trauma such as sexual abuse or an initial painful sexual experience also can lead to pain associated with sex.

Hormone levels. Changes in your hormone levels can affect your vagina. For example, estrogen production declines after menopause and during breast-feeding. Loss of estrogen can cause the vaginal lining to thin (vaginal atrophy) making sex painful.



Good morning and happy weekend


Sam Health Wise

Bacterial Vaginosis another serious vaginal Infection in woman that can cause strong Vaginal odor


Bacteria vaginosis (BV) is the commonest cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of childbearing age and the most common infectious condition in women. BV is particularly common in black women, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is usually detected in 10-40% of women worldwide and is most prevalent among women who have multiple sexual partners; those of low income status and lower levels of education; among women who smoke cigarettes; in African-American women; and in women who do not use hormonal contraception.

Certain intra-vaginal practices have been linked with risk of acquiring Bacterial vaginosis.

Intra-vaginal practices are common among sexually active women and have been described in several sub-Saharan African countries and parts of Asia and the United States of America. These practices include vaginal wiping, vaginal washing (the most studied risk factor for BV) and inserting substances into the vagina.

Vaginal washing may be by douching with a stream or jet of water or by using fingers to insert water, soap or variety of other substances into the vagina. Women report using intra-vaginal practices for the purpose of genital hygiene, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and to enhance sexual pleasure for male partners (dry sex).

Although most women engage in these practices for perceived benefits, a number of studies have demonstrated potential harmful association with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) infections, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), BV and other obstetric and gynecologic conditions such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PIDs), decreased fertility and ectopic pregnancy.

Bacterial vaginosis has the potential of causing late miscarriages, preterm births, preterm premature rupture of membranes, pelvic inflammatory disease, increased risk of HIV infection, post-partum, post-abortal and post-operative endometritis Detection, treatment and prevention of bacterial vaginosis may help improve perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality.


Cheers,

Your health is important than any other things.

Trichomonas Vaginal infections

Trichomonas infections account for five to 10 per cent of vaginal infections.8 Trichomonas vaginalis, an anaerobic protozoan, is the causative organism.

The organism is present in three to 15 per cent of women.6 More than 50 per cent of women who are infected with trichomonas are asymptomatic.

The symptoms, if they occur, are a profuse and malodorous discharge that is uncomfortable and sometimes frothy.

This vaginal discharge is evident in about one-third of infections. there is also internal and external dysuria.

The vulvar or external itching can be severe. Acute inflammation may cause the cervix and vagina to have a strawberry-red appearance. Often these symptoms appear after menstruation.

If you have similar infection you can contact your physician for help, there are prescribe drugs for treatment.


Sam Health Wise

Yeast or Candida infections (In Women)

Yeast infections are not considered to be sexually transmitted; however, a male partner may act as a reservoir for recurrent infections and in 12 to 15 per cent of male partners, symptoms such as rash and itch are seen.

Approximately 50 per cent of the populations carry Candida in the mouth; thus, MouthAction can transmit yeast infections. Sex between female partners can also transmit these infections.
Fungal or yeast infections account for 30 to 35 per cent of vaginal infections. Yeast colonizes 15 to 20 per cent of nonpregnant women and 20 to 40 per cent of pregnant women.

With a yeast or Candida infection there is intense vulvar and vaginal itching. There can also be external dysuria that is painful and difficult. The vulvar signs include edema, erythema and, in severe cases, fissures. The vagina itself is dry, bright red in colour, and mottled with white curdy plaques.

These signs and symptoms may not be reported by the women suffering from a yeast infection. Rather, they will describe their symptoms as “an itch,” “irritation” or “pain when urinating.” Some women may have little discharge and redness. Candida albicans causes 90 per cent of yeast infections. Other yeast species cause the remainder of the infections.

Normally, these yeasts can be isolated from 15 to 25 per cent of women; thus, it is not the presence of the yeast that leads to these infections, but the overgrowth of yeast. With overgrowth, host resistance and local bacterial flora change, and the yeast infection results.

Any one of a number of conditions make women more susceptible to yeast infections:

• In pregnancy, there can be a decrease in cellular immunity and increased levels of urine glucose, both of which contribute to yeast overgrowth.

• In diabetes, there are increased levels of urine glucose, which provide yeast with more nutrients, resulting in proliferation. Women who have recurrent yeast infections should be tested for undiagnosed diabetes mellitus.

• Immunosuppressed states can increase the incidence of yeast infections. Some medications (e.g., cancer chemotherapy, corticosteroids) have the ability to suppress the immune system, as do disease conditions such as HIV and AIDS. With immunosuppression, there is decreased cellular immunity and yeast can proliferate.

• Broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., tetracycline) suppress the normal flora of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract, permitting overgrowth.

• Oral contraceptives can contain high levels of estrogen, which promotes yeast growth. This effect is most notable within the first three months of use.

However to treat vaginal yeast infection, the imidazole antifungals are the drugs of choice to treat vaginal yeast infections and can be used topically as well as orally.



Good morning!!

Sam Health Wise

Hello Good evening, hope we all had a great day?

Still on women health

Vaginal Infection (What you need to know has a woman)


Vaginal infections are the number one reason for adult women to see their healthcare providers. In North America, these infections account for more than 10 million visits to physicians’ offices each year. Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina that may be caused by an infection.

The two most common vaginal infections are yeast infections (monilia or candida) and bacterial vaginosis. Vaginal infections may also be attributed to other causative organisms. Herpes simplex type 2 and human papillomavirus account for common viral infections of the vagina, Also sexually transmitted infections (STIs—formerly STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. If vaginal symptoms do not respond to treatment, these infections may be present.

Vaginal yeast infections are common among women, with about 75 per cent being affected during their lifetime and 40 to 50 per cent having recurrent episodes.
In some cases, 6.5 per cent of women reported that they had had at least one episode of a vaginal yeast infection during the previous two months. Bacterial vaginosis is the most prevalent cause of vaginal discharge or malodour, although up to 50 to 60 per cent of women can be asymptomatic (shows no symptoms). Bacterial vaginosis is reported in anywhere from 10 per cent to 41 per cent of women, depending upon the age group of women. The normal vagina is the musculomembranous organ that moves internally to the reproductive organs. The vagina and vulva comprise the lower genital tract and the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes comprise the upper genital tract.

The average healthy adult vaginal tract has four characteristics:

• The pH of the normal vagina from puberty to menopause is slightly acidic, ranging from a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. The presence of Lactobacillus keeps the pH normal, preventing overgrowth of bacteria and yeast. A change from the normal pH of the tract generally leaves the structures susceptible to infection. This alteration in pH may be the result of physical, chemical, mechanical or allergic imbalance or the influence of a tumour. Menstrual blood, certain infections or semen often make the vaginal pH alkaline. When estrogen level is low, the vaginal is most vulnerable to infection e.g. after menopause.

• The vagina has a bacterial flora that is integral to maintaining the normal level of acidity. The acid is produced from the breakdown of glycogen (found in epithelial cells) to lactic acid by the bacterial flora. The normal flora usually consists of Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, diphtheroids, bacteroids, peptococci and peptostreptococci. The normal flora may contain a wide variety of anaerobic as well as aerobic bacteria, any of which may become pathogenic.
The vagina will have a degree of vaginal discharge even under normal conditions.

This fluid is due to mucous secretions, which exude through the wall and from Bartholin glands found in vaginal walls. Normal vaginal discharge is generally acidic, odourless, nonbloody and colourless. It is not associated with pruritis. The discharge, occurring before ovulation, originates in the cervix and is alkaline in its nature.

A bloody, watery discharge may be suggestive of a malignancy. Other noninfectious causes of bloody discharge include cervical polyps, especially after intercourse, and vaginal atrophy. Vaginal infections will cause various kinds of abnormal vaginal discharge. It is often possible to distinguish between the vaginal infections based on the characteristics of the abnormal vaginal discharge.


Continue tomorrow.

Happy night rest!!

Chronic Vaginal Malodor in the Absence of Infection: A Possible Manifestation of Olfactory Reference Syndrome.


While bacterial vaginosis is a common cause of vaginal malodor, other women with vaginal malodor may have no objective findings. These women present a challenge since there is no satisfactory diagnosis or treatment.

Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a preoccupation with the belief that there is an offensive body odor, often from the genital regions that is not perceived by others.
It is accompanied by shame, embarrassment, significant distress, avoidance behavior and social isolation. In addition, it is often accompanied by delusions of reference (belief that others recognize and react to the aversive smell) and repetitive behaviors to mask the smell such as showering excessively and changing clothes multiple times throughout the day, or repetitively smelling themselves.

Although a lot of women suffer from this single course, not that they have been diagnosed of vaginal malodor, but we suspect that many could be considered candidates for a diagnosis of ORS.

While this condition is almost completely unknown within the gynecologic world, what little data exist on the condition suggest that affected individuals often present to non-psychiatric clinicians for help. It is possible that many women presenting to their doctor with the complaint of a non-existent genital odor, potentially meet criteria for ORS, if the clinician knew its signs and symptoms.


Experts suggest three criteria to help us screen for ORS:

1) Patient presents with an odor that is not perceived by others, often with the belief that others can perceive and are troubled by the odor,

2) The odor causes significant distress and impairment, and

3) Symptoms cannot be attributed to any other mental or medical cause.

If patients do in fact suffer from ORS, it is possible that it could have been triggered by having BV at one point in their life. So you are advice to seek for help as soon as possible.

Reasons Your Vagina Smells a Little…Off (Woman Health)
Chances are your vagina smells just fine, but if you notice an unusual vaginal odor, it might be related to these causes.

Despite all of the marketing that tells you otherwise, there is likely nothing wrong with your vaginal odor. It’s completely natural and normal for your vagina to have some kind of scent. And, no, that scent probably won't be a field of wildflowers. It's a vagina, not a perfume counter.
“When you look at what’s normal, it can have a mild or slight odor that’s not unpleasant. There shouldn’t be a strong odor and it shouldn’t smell like the zoo or fish.

So if your discharge smells bad but not fishy, you’re probably OK (but you should still check out the reasons your vagina might smell below).
Vaginal odor is like sweat everyone has their own scent, and chances are you smell just fine! But if you're noticing a change in your vaginal odor that doesn't go away, it's worth bringing up with your doctor. Here are a few things that might cause your vaginal odor to go awry:

1. You accidentally left a tampon in there.
It happens and probably more often than you’d think, Some people may put in a “just in case” tampon toward the end of their period and forget about it, don’t remember that they already have one in before putting in a new one, or forget and have sex with one in and it gets pushed sideways into the back of cervix.
“Every gynecologist has had the experience of a woman coming in with an odor, discovering it was a forgotten tampon, and feeling mortified. Unfortunately, it really, really stinks. “A forgotten tampon causes the absolute worst vaginal odor,”
The smell is usually caused by old blood, which has a bad scent when it oxidizes, It can also change the pH of your vagina (which should be between 3.5 to 4.5), allowing it to become a breeding ground for different bacteria or an infection.

2. You have a bacterial infection.
Bacterial vaginosis (usually just known as BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women ages 15-44, per the CDC, and it happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in your vagina. This throws off the pH of your vagina and can create a bad, fishy odor in the process.


3. You ate something funky.
You’ve probably heard that eating pineapple or citrus fruits can make you smell sweeter down there, and that fried foods can make you stinky. “I hear this all the time, but it’s all anecdotal. There’s no scientific evidence behind this, but there could be something to it.
The healthier you are on the inside, the better or more neutral of a scent your body will give off. “Inflammatory foods can cause a lot of internal inflammation which will manifest as odors. If you find that your normal scent is off and you know you recently ate a bunch of crappy foods, try switching to more whole foods and see where it gets you.

4. You recently had sex without a condom.
You might notice things smell a little different down there after sex, which makes sense. You've got your fluids mixing with another person's fluids, and maybe some sweat, too. Plus, semen has an elevated pH, and that can cause an odor to form. Typically, the smell will clear up on its own within a day or so or after you shower but if it persists, you have to get checked.


5. You’re on your period.
You’ve probably found that your vaginal odor smells a little more intensely when you're bleeding, and that’s normal. Blood has an elevated pH, and that can throw your vaginal flora off a little during your period. Usually it’s not a huge change in scent and it goes away once your period wraps up.


Good morning

Sam Health Wise

This is getting serious far! have being receiving series of calls from this same stupid ass hole on job offer...thank God I didn't even yield to their schemes... they are big time loser and mother fucker!!

live that for now I okay! just try make money first whalahi the spot go vanish anyway get it here CLICK http://www.naijaebiz.com/oluwaseun NOW”

Attention: Anyone interested in starting a real international Mini Importation Business ; and turning it into a thriving cash pumping stream of income click here http://WWW.get90kperweek.info