Vaginal infection

It is a common condition, and causes discomfort in post-pubertal and adult women, whether sexually active or not.
Though the condition will affect around one third of women during their lifetimes, there are steps you can take to prevent having an itchy, fishy smelling vagina.

Prevent vaginal infections:

- wipe from front to back after a bowel movement. Pat yourself dry after passing urine. Use unscented, uncoloured, double-layered toilet paper.

- wash your genital area once a day with plain water or use a mild, unperfumed soap to wash the genital area. Rinse well with a hand-held shower head and dry the area thoroughly with a soft towel or a cool air hairdryer before getting dressed. Don? t use bubble baths, vaginal deodorants or talc, or douches.

- use sanitary towels, rather than tampons, or change tampons every 4 hours. Do not forget to remove tampons.

- eat a well-balanced diet, which includes dahi, curd, yoghurt. Follow a healthy lifestyle, since a healthy person fights infection more effectively.

- when taking antibiotics, take probiotics, such as yakult, or increase your intake of live yoghurt.

- if you are overweight, get into shape, as being overweight might cause repeated yeast infections.

- wear cotton underwear. Cotton absorbs moisture. Yeast thrives in a warm, damp atmosphere. Let your body breathe. Avoid tight-fitting jeans, lycra shorts and tights. Wear loose clothing and sleep without any undergarments at night.

- do not use any chemicals, such as douches, spermicides