women's health | The PrimAGE

Say Goodbye To Vaginal Odour With These Simple Tips

4 min read

If you're concerned about vaginal odour, you're not alone. It's a common issue that many women struggle with. Maybe it was during your teenage years when you were first starting to get your period. Or maybe it's something you've dealt with throughout your adult life. Either way, it's always an embarrassing and inconvenient issue.

The good news is, that there's likely a simple explanation for your vaginal odour. In this post, we'll dive into the most common causes of vaginal odour and give you some tips on how to address them.

Got Vaginal Odour? Here's What Might Be Causing It

Vaginal odour is one of the most common questions that OB-GYNs get. But there's no need to be embarrassed—it's a very common issue. There are many different causes of vaginal odour, and below are the common possible reasons:

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) - Vaginal odour: fishy

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition that happens when there’s an overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina. This can cause the vaginal pH to become imbalanced, which can lead to itching, burning, and other symptoms. Although BV is usually harmless, it can sometimes lead to more serious problems like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

There are many different kinds of bacteria that live in the vagina, and they’re constantly changing. Normally, there’s a balance of good and bad bacteria. But when there’s an overgrowth of bad bacteria, it can cause BV.

Vaginal Candidiasis - Vaginal odour: yeasty

Candidiasis is a fungal infection that can affect any part of the body but is most commonly found in the mouth, throat, GI tract or vagina. The infection is caused by a type of yeast called Candida, which is normally present in the body in small amounts. However, if the body's natural balance is upset, this yeast can grow out of control and cause an infection.

Vaginal candidiasis, also known as candida vulvovaginitis or vaginal thrush, is a common condition that affects women of all ages. The most common symptom of vaginal candidiasis is itching, but other symptoms may include burning, redness, and cottage cheese-like discharge.

Trichomoniasis - Vaginal odour: pungent and fishy (similar to BV)

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a single-celled protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Although the infection is usually asymptomatic in men, it can cause vaginitis in women, with symptoms that include itching, burning, and abnormal discharge.

The parasite is typically spread through sexual intercourse, but can also be transmitted through contact with contaminated objects such as towels or toilet seats.

You’re on your Period - Vaginal odour: Metallic

For many women, having menses is a monthly occurrence that comes with certain symptoms. One of these symptoms is a metallic odour that is caused by the presence of iron in the blood.

UTIs and other urinary issues - Vaginal odour: Ammonia

Urine could be the source of an ammonia-like vaginal odour. This can happen if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). An ammonia-like odour can occasionally be a sign of an unnoticed incontinence problem.

Tampon has been left unchanged for far too long - Vaginal odour: Rotten/ Metallic

If you notice a rotten or metallic odour coming from your tampon, it's time to take it out. This smell is a sign that the tampon is starting to break down and can cause serious health problems if left in too long.

Say Goodbye to Vaginal Odor with These Remedies

If you are concerned about vaginal odour, you must address the underlying cause in order to eliminate it. Maintaining good hygiene is essential for avoiding health issues and unusual odours.

Wash Regularly

Regular cleaning is essential, but don't overdo it. The vagina is extremely acidic, which naturally kills bad bacteria. Warm water is all that is required to wash it away. Unsuitable soaps may aggravate the situation by altering the environment in a way that promotes bacterial growth.

Wear Loose-Fitting Bottoms and Cotton Underwear

Women who wore tight-fitting underwear found that they were more likely to have higher levels of vaginal odour. It could be due to the tighter underwear constricting the airflow to the vagina, which can cause an increase in moisture and bacteria growth.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Excess weight can cause changes in hormone levels, which can lead to an increase in sweat production and trapped moisture. These conditions create the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive, leading to vaginal odour.

Taking Proven Probiotic

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are beneficial to human health. Different types of probiotic strains can offer different benefits, so it’s important to choose the right one for you. For example, saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing vaginal infections, such as candida infections and bacterial vaginosis. This help reduces vaginal odour by restoring the natural pH balance of the vagina.

Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar has been used for centuries as a cleaning agent. Its acidic properties make it effective at killing bacteria. And that's why some women swear by using vinegar to get rid of vaginal odour.

To use vinegar as a vaginal odour remedy, simply mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water pour it into the bath tub or apply it to the affected area with a cotton ball. Do this once or twice a day until the odour goes away.

If you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can also try apple cider vinegar.

Vaginal Odour: When to See a Doctor?

A vaginal odour that necessitates a doctor's visit is frequently accompanied by other vaginal symptoms. If you are experiencing itching, burning, discharge, irritation, or pain, please consult your doctor.

Conclusion

With a little care and attention, you can maintain good vaginal health and avoid any unpleasant smells. So, don’t be afraid to take charge of your own body and give yourself the gift of a fresh and healthy vagina.

Your Body Clock Disruption Can Suck the Life Out of You!

4 min read

Biological rhythms govern the functioning of every tissue and organ in your body. The so-called body clock ensures that bodily functions execute on time. The 24-hour cycle that regulates the timing of events like eating, sleeping, and temperature is known as your circadian rhythm. This ensures that important biological activities occur regularly.

Many organisms, including humans, animals, fruit flies, and even bacteria, are governed by circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms in people help to synchronise mental and physical systems all over the body. An example: To match the typical time for a meal intake, the digestive system produces proteins, and the endocrine system controls or release hormones to fit according to a normally scheduled energy consumption timing.

What effect does circadian rhythm have on sleep?

The most common use of the term circadian rhythm is in the context of sleep. One of the most obvious and fundamental examples of the relevance of circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle.

During the day, light exposure triggers the master clock to produce signals that help us stay awake and active by generating awareness. As night falls, the master clock begins to produce melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone and then continues to relay signals that help us stay asleep all night.

Our circadian rhythm links our sleep and wakefulness day and night in this way, creating a steady pattern of restorative rest that allows us to do more during the day.

What Happen when your circadian rhythm is disrupted?

When the circadian rhythm is disrupted, the body's processes are unable to work properly.

Serious sleeping disorders might result from a disrupted sleep-wake circadian cycle. A person may struggle to fall asleep, wake up during the night, or be unable to sleep as long as they desire into the morning if their internal clock is not properly signalled. Their total sleep time may be shortened, and their circadian rhythm may be altered, resulting in shallower, fragmented, and poor-quality sleep.

A misaligned circadian clock can disrupt sleep in a variety of ways, including raising the risk of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness. Given the importance of sleep for productivity and overall health, when a person's circadian rhythm is off, there are typically serious implications.

What does circadian rhythm affect apart from sleep?

While the sleep-wake cycle is one of the most well-known circadian rhythms, these 24-hour internal clocks are essential to nearly all physiological processes.

Circadian rhythms are still being studied, some research has linked them to metabolism and weight loss via blood sugar and cholesterol management. Circadian rhythms also have an impact on mental health, including the risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, as well as the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

Circadian rhythms also appear to have a significant impact on the immune system as well as DNA repair processes that are implicated in cancer prevention. In preliminary research, circadian cycles might influence the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs, and new treatments may be able to use biological clocks to destroy cancer cells.

How to know if you have a disrupted circadian rhythm?

You may have a circadian rhythm disorder if your sleep is disrupted and your timetable is wrong. Experts have identified six warning indicators to look out for.

1. You Fall Asleep Early & Wake Up In The Middle Of The Night

You may have Advanced Sleep Phase (ASP) syndrome if you get sleepy and go to bed sooner than most people, then wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back asleep. With ASP, your body clock is moved forward, causing you to go to bed (about 6 to 9 p.m.) and get up relatively early (around 3-4 a.m.). As you become older, this circadian rhythm disturbance becomes more common.

2. You Can Fall Asleep During Weekends, But Not Weekdays

You may have Delayed Sleep Phase syndrome if you have problems falling asleep on evenings before workdays that require an early wake-up, but not on weekends when you can go to bed and wake up later. DSP is the polar opposite of ASP, in which your body clock is reset, causing you to go to bed and wake up late. Adolescents are more likely to develop this problem.

3. Your Sleep & Wake Time Gets Pushed Back A Little Each Day

You may have Non-24 Hour Sleep/Wake Disorder if you go to bed and wake up a little later each day. Because this illness develops when the light fails to convey the necessary signals to the brain, it usually only affects people who have poor eyesight.

4. You Have An Erratic Sleep Schedule

You may have Irregular Sleep/Wake Disorder which is characterised by unpredictable sleep patterns in which sleep is not consolidated at night but is distributed throughout the day and night. People with neurological disorders, such as dementia and ADHD, are more likely to experience this. Chronic insomnia, drowsiness, and scattered naps rather than long durations of sleep are some of the symptoms.

5. You Work Odd Hours

Those who work shifts and work through the night while resting during the day may have sleeping problems. You may have a Shift Work Sleep Disorder if you have trouble sleeping during the day and staying awake late at night when working shifts. This can cause chronic sleep deprivation and accompany by chronic stress, anxiety or depression. During the coronavirus pandemic, key workers, such as those in the healthcare, utility, and transportation sectors, were not only the most exposed to Covid-19 stress, but they were also more likely to suffer from health-related illness and sleep disorders as a result of shift work.

6. You Can't Fall Asleep When You Travel

Most of us are familiar with the feeling of jet lag, which is also a circadian rhythm problem. You may have a Jet Lag Sleep Disorder if you have problems falling asleep after travelling easterly across numerous time zones or staying awake after flying westbound across multiple time zones. Sleeping becomes more difficult as you visit more time zones, but once you return home, your schedule should revert to normal.

If you think you are experiencing any of these mentioned disorders, you may have a disrupted circadian rhythm. While we don't have complete control over our circadian rhythm, there are some healthy sleep hygiene or supplement aid that can help us re-align our 24-hour sleep cycles.

Coronasomnia - How is the pandemic wrecking our sleep?

4 min read

COVID-19 has provided us with numerous reasons to be concerned. Here's another example: More people than ever are suffering from severe sleep deprivation as a result of the pandemic and stress. It's known as "coronasomnia." It's very real and very common.

A recent study conducted revealed "very high rates of clinically significant insomnia” along with more acute stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic. No one is surprised by this. As who hasn't had a few sleepless nights recently? Or a lot of sleepless nights? And who hasn't felt stressed by jumbled lives and health restrictions that seem to have no end in sight?

Even before the pandemic, medical experts were already concerned about rising rates of insomnia and its consequences on physical and emotional health. With COVID-19 stress, significant changes in routines, and decreased activity for many people, medical experts believe the coronavirus has caused the second pandemic of insomnia.

Coronasomnia is exacerbated by disrupted routines

As if COVID fatigue and anxiety weren't enough, there's another cause of coronasomnia: Our normal routines have been shattered. On the one hand, our lives have become overly routine. We can hardly leave the house. We don't go to movies, restaurants, bars and pubs, or any of the other places where we could meet new people. As humans, we require stimulation. We require some variety in our activities. When our lives become so routine, a lack of stimulation and activities contributes to poor sleep.

On the other hand, many people who work from home have strayed from their normal daily routines, which has an impact on their sleep. We're supposed to be awake during the day and asleep at night, but many people work and sleep at odd hours after the pandemic. Their circadian rhythms are thrown off. Every cell in your body is regulated by the body's "internal clock". They have an impact on your eating, digestion, immune response, and sleep. When the master clock is disrupted, everything else starts to fail.

Coronasomnia is a series of vicious circles

Insomnia is self-perpetuating. The more you can't sleep, the more you worry about it, and the less sleep you get. In fact, COVID-19-related insomnia is formed in an interconnected vicious circle:

Many of the things we do to combat insomnia, such as taking a nap during the day or drinking an extra glass of wine, actually worsen our sleep problems and disrupt our routines.
COVID-19 has worn us all out. When you add exhaustion from lack of sleep, every new annoyance, no matter how minor, causes frustration and anxiety – and further disruption to sleep.
Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, which can cause issues such as reflux, which keeps you awake.
Sleep deprivation has a variety of health consequences, ranging from depression to high blood pressure to an increased chance of heart attack or stroke. These factors can make us more prone to COVID-19, which causes increased anxiety and insomnia.

Follow these tips for a more restful night

There are several things that individuals can accomplish on their own. It all starts with adopting actions to combat COVID fatigue's stress. Here are some sleep tips:

Maintain a regular daily schedule: If you're working from home, keep the same schedule you would if you were going to work. Don't go to bed early or stay up late. Get up when that alarm goes off, no matter how unpleasant it is. Also, just as you would at the office, take a break during the day. Take a break for lunch, go for a stroll, or simply get outside.
Create and stick to a bedtime routine: At the end of the day, slow down. About a half-hour before bedtime, start dimming the lights. The production of natural melatonin is inhibited by bright lights (a hormone that is part of our natural sleep cycle and helps us sleep).
Avoid using devices in bed: Blue light from phones, tablets, and computers tells our bodies to stay awake and stop producing melatonin. It's difficult, but please turn off your electronics. Reading a book is preferable to watching TV.
Do not use your bedroom, particularly your bed, as an office: You want to train your brain that here is where you rest. You don't want it to say, 'This is your workplace.'
Get some exercise during the day: It helps to relieve stress and maintain our bodies natural rhythms. It's ideal to do the exercise a few hours before bedtime to allow your body to cool down and relax.
Get some sunlight: It aids in the maintenance of our circadian rhythms, allowing us to manufacture melatonin at night rather than during the day.
If you can't sleep and wake up in the middle of the night, get out of bed: While a change of environment can help you reset, keep the lights low and avoid doing anything that would invigorate you. Get up and leave the bedroom if you can't sleep for more than a half-hour. In the dull light, do something easy and monotonous.
Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine, as both disrupt your sleep patterns: While alcohol can help you fall asleep, it does not guarantee that you will stay asleep or sleep well. "Not all sleep is created equal". We want to get the right amount of sleep.
Sleep medicine should be used with caution: over-the-counter sleep aids such as some flu medication can cause restless sleep or drowsiness in the morning, and prescription drugs can lead to emotional dependency. Some over-the-counter supplements can help to relieve sleep disturbance problems.

Too often, people do not consider insomnia to be a medical issue, despite the fact that it is making them miserable. It is frequently overlooked, despite the fact that a lack of adequate sleep might result in increased health risks. Chronic sleep deprivation can weaken your body's defences and make you more susceptible to illness, especially in the midst of the current pandemic.