Four Lifestyle Practices That Might Be Contributing To Your Vaginal Dryness
If you suffer from frequent or ongoing vaginal dryness, it is important to visit your OBGYN in order to rule out causes like pregnancy and immune disorders. If your OBGYN gives you a clean bill of health, then chances, are lifestyle factors are contributing to your vaginal dryness or making it worse. Here's a look at four common lifestyle practices that lead to this symptom:
Bathing in bubble baths or scented products.
Many bubble baths, bath salts, and other scented bath items contain fragrances and chemical ingredients that are irritating to sensitive vaginal tissues. Try abstaining from these products, and instead using only unscented products. Avoid soaking in the bath tub. Even plain, warm water can cause issues for those who are naturally prone to dryness when you spend a long time soaking in it. Instead, take showers.
Smoking cigarettes.
Cigarettes are known for causing lung cancer, but they can lead to a whole array of other issues. One of these is the elevation of androgen levels, which can contribute to vaginal dryness. If you're a smoker, taking measures to quit once and for all is essential if you want to put an end to your vaginal dryness. Have you tried to quit before and failed? Try a different method this time. Many patients have found success with support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, and nicotine patches.
Taking a lot of allergy medications.
Do you pop an allergy pill every time you feel an itch or start sneezing? Antihistamines, the class of allergy medications into which most over-the-counter allergy medications fall, can cause vaginal dryness as a side effect. Instead of relying on allergy medications, try making greater measures to avoid allergens in the first place. For example, if you're allergic to dust, hire someone to clean your home instead of cleaning it yourself. If pet dander is a problem, you might need to consider re-homing the family dog.
Douching.
If you're using douches to "clean" your vagina, this is a likely cause of your dryness. The vagina is a self-cleaning organ, and experts agree that douches tend to do more harm than good. When you rinse your vagina out with a douche, you're removing the healthy bacteria that maintain a proper pH and moisture balance. Stop douching, and trust that your body will take care of itself.
If you are able to avoid the lifestyle changes above, you should find that your vaginal dryness subsides and you begin to feel more comfortable again. For more information, talk to a professional like Women's Healthcare of Illinois.
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