When it comes to vaginal health, if there are two things that tend to be pretty common, it’s yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Reportedly, three out of four women will experience a yeast infection in their lifetime. When it comes to BV, one in three women will get at least one of those.These two things can happen when a woman’s pH balance is off. So, what is a woman’s pH all about? And what should you do to restore vaginal pH levels when it’s not where it should be? We’ll explore all of this today.
What Does “pH Balance” Mean, Anyway?
The easiest way to explain your system’s pH balance is, it’s the acid-base balance in your body. Your lungs and kidneys play a significant role in this and when your pH is balanced, your body functions as it should.
The pH scale runs from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). Your blood’s pH should be between 7.35 and 7.45. When this isn’t the case, your body can experience muscle cramps, fatigue, and other symptoms.
What Is Your Vagina’s pH Balance?
When it comes to female reproductive health, your vagina has a pH balance too. When it’s healthy, it’s slightly acidic and its “score” is somewhere between 3.8 and 4.5. The extra acid is good because it helps to prevent bacterial overgrowth.
If your vagina is too alkaline, you may experience one or all of the following symptoms:
- Change in your vagina’s discharge
- Change in the texture of your vagina’s discharge
- Change in the odor of your discharge
- Itching or discomfort in or around your vagina
If this is the case, you may have some type of vaginal infection. Since some infections have similar symptoms, it’s best to get a diagnosis from your physician.
What Should You Do to Restore Vaginal pH?
Say that your doctor reveals that you have a yeast infection. As the two of you are discussing what is normal vaginal pH, they may go over things that you can do to restore your pH balance. The list may include:
- Taking a probiotic (to put “good bacteria” into your system)
- Boosting your immunity with healthy foods and exercise
- Drinking lots of water (to flush out toxins)
- Consuming less sugar (it can throw off your pH levels)
- De-stressing
All of these are things that you can do to heal your body at home. They will help to bring your vaginal pH balance back to where it needs to be.
How Can You Maintain a Healthy Vaginal pH Balance?
Luckily, there are also things that you can also do to maintain a healthy pH balance, so you don’t end up with an infection. Some of the most effective recommendations include:
- Wearing cotton underwear (so that your vagina can breathe)
- Sleeping naked (also so your vagina can breathe)
- Not washing with harsh soaps or scented body washes
- Using fragrance-free feminine products
- Not douching (your vagina is self-cleaning)
- Wiping from front to back (to keep bacteria out of your vagina)
- Using a condom when you have sex (sperm can throw your pH off)
- Taking a garlic supplement (it contains powerful antioxidants)
- Eating yogurt (to get more probiotics into your system)
- Getting six to eight hours of sleep (to keep your immunity strong)
If you want to avoid reproductive health issues as far as your vagina is concerned, these 10 things are proactive ways to do just that. All of them will help to keep your system strong and your vagina’s pH balance right where it needs to be.
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