What vaginal odor says about your health
Intimate odor: causes and treatments
It is normal for your vagina to have a scent, and everyone's is unique. It doesn't need to be covered up, it belongs to you and your body. Nevertheless, the intimate smell unsettles many women from time to time. Is my vaginal odor normal? Shouldn't I smell like nothing in the intimate area? What can I do if that smell starts to change?
Our intimate smell is also quite useful because it can reveal something about our health. An unpleasant intimate odor can be a sign of an infection, which can – but does not have to – be accompanied by other symptoms.
If there is a suspicion that the trigger of the vaginal odor is a vaginal infection, e.g. bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis or another vaginal disease, you should see your gynecologist, who will then initiate appropriate treatment if necessary. Complaints such as burning, itching or pain in the intimate region as well as fever should not be ignored.
Why does the intimate area smell?
The Vagina should smell slightly sour or musty because the pH of the vagina is a bit more acidic then the rest of our body, between 3.8 and 4.4.
There are a number of things you can do yourself to avoid or reduce excessive intimate odor:
Intimate care: Use gentle products without bleach or dyes for the external intimate area. Mild washing substances or a special intimate washing lotion, such as that from Dr. Wolff's V-san, and water are usually sufficient. Then gently pat dry. Intimate deodorants can have an irritating effect due to the perfume they contain.
Vaginal hygiene: You should also avoid vaginal douches. They don't clean the vagina as you may think. Rather, they disrupt the natural colonisation of the vagina with lactic acid bacteria and irritate the vaginal mucosa.
Support vaginal flora: If the bacterial colonisation in the intestines and vagina is out of balance, you can restore the balance with so-called probiotics. Probiotics are living microorganisms that have a positive effect on bacterial composition. You can support the vaginal flora and thus prevent vaginal infections with Dr. Wolff's V-san Lactic Acid , the vaginal environment is quickly and effectively acidified with adjustment to the normal pH value of the vagina, so that the growth of the “good” lactic acid bacteria typical of the vagina is supported. At the same time, the multiplication of the "disease-causing" pathogens is slowed down.
Choosing the right clothing: Avoid wearing tight clothing and, if possible, use cotton underwear. The natural material prevents moisture from accumulating and allows air to circulate better. So you sweat less and prevent unwanted germs from growing excessively in the warm, humid climate. And: Change your underwear every day and get out of your sweaty clothes immediately after exercising!
During menstruation: Change panty liners, tampons or period cups regularly so that pathogenic germs do not multiply on them. Menstrual blood temporarily increases the pH in the vagina because blood is alkaline. This shift is normally compensated for by our natural protection system. In women who are prone to repeat vaginal infections, this equalisation may not work quickly enough and a bacterial vaginal infection can occur again after the period. To quickly restore the acidic pH value of the vagina and thus support the existing vaginal flora, you can use Dr Wolff's V-san Lactic Acid immediately after your menstrual period.
During and after sex: Contact with semen can also cause an intimate odor, since sperm temporarily increase the otherwise acidic pH value of the vagina. So either use a condom or go to the toilet immediately after intercourse.
