High temperatures, swimming in swimming pools, hours spent in a bathing suit, a romantic atmosphere – these are the factors that mean that for many women, the vacation period often means intimate infections. We talk to the gynecologist at the Superior Medical Center in Krakow, Dr. Marcin Mika, about how to avoid them and what to do if they do occur.
- It is easy to get intimate infections on a vacation spent by the water
- It is especially risky to get out of the water and stay in a wet swimsuit. And that’s something a lot of women do
- The risk factors also include wiping with a towel that was lying on the sand
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Why do so many women complain about holiday genital tract infections every year?
Maybe not so much on vacation, but on “vacation” … Since traveling to warm countries has become popular, the season for this type of infection is actually all year round. If, on the other hand, we are talking about the reasons, regardless of the chosen holiday destination, they are practically the same: swimming in warm, standing water bodies, such as swimming pools and small lakes, or bathing in a jacuzzi. These are environments that pathogens love. There are also plenty of them on the outskirts of such reservoirs, where women sit down to dry and sunbathe. Bacteria imported from exotic countries are especially difficult to cure. Laboratories in Poland have problems with determining their drug sensitivity, which in turn has a negative impact on the treatment process, which can drag on for a very long time, even for months. Pathogens imported from Egypt, Tunisia or the Dominican Republic colonize the vaginal microbiota and are a really big challenge for gynecologists.
Is contact with water and a high concentration of pathogens exhausting the topic, or can we also create such a problem ourselves?
Unfortunately yes. It is enough for a woman not to change her swimwear to dry after leaving the water or to wipe herself with a dirty towel lifted from the sand or a deckchair. This way you can catch not only a bacterial but also a fungal infection! Because fungi, like bacteria, like moisture and warmth. And they are just waiting for the right moment when they will be moved to the genital area to start developing.
What’s the right moment?
It’s about weakening our immunology. Thus, we come to the third, most common “holiday” infection, ie inflammation of the urinary tract. The condition is commonly known as a bladder cold. When you walk in a wet suit for a long time, you sit on cool surfaces, and the pelvic area cools down as a result. The organs in it, including the ovaries, uterus and urinary system organs, function properly until homeostasis is maintained, i.e. the correct proportions of bacteria and pathogens beneficial for humans. Changing conditions may lead to its disturbance and, as a result, better conditions for the development of these unwanted microorganisms. An infection is initiated, which in turn may develop into an infection of the urinary or reproductive tract, i.e. the area around the vulva, vagina and ovaries.
So pain and burning… What to do in such situations?
First, watch. Often the symptoms go away on their own with the end of your period or even earlier. This is a sign that the body has fought them itself. However, if the symptoms increase, it is worth visiting a doctor, avoiding treatment “on your own”.
Dlaczego?
First, because the woman herself does not know what kind of infection she is dealing with. It can be a mixed, bacterial-fungal, bacterial, fungal infection, but changes in the genital tract can also be the result of a virus.
By treating themselves on their own, the patients make it difficult for the doctor to make a diagnosis. These substances alter the pH of the vagina, so clinical testing alone is often not enough to pinpoint the exact cause. Then the doctor resists the habits of microbiological tests, for which, however, you need to wait about a week. In the meantime, we are doomed to treatment with empirical drugs, i.e. on the basis of symptoms, hoping that we will be able to counteract the infection in this way.
In addition, over-the-counter preparations are largely supplements that are supposed to act as blockers and prevent the development of infections. However, when it does occur, they are unable to cure it. Without the use of an appropriate cream or globules prescribed by a doctor, the woman will not get rid of the problem.
While traveling, a woman often has to help herself somehow …
It is best if a woman visits her gynecologist before leaving, especially to the other end of the world or to a place where access to a doctor is difficult. Knowing the patient’s susceptibility to such and not other infections, knowing what threats she may be exposed to on vacation, the specialist will advise her on appropriate medications and preventive measures.
If such a visit does not take place, however, there remains a telephone contact. Based on the patient’s card and the symptoms she describes, the doctor can determine the probable cause of the disease and advise on how to get rid of it.
You mentioned prevention. So how can you minimize the risk of infection? What can a woman do besides dry herself with a clean towel and change into a dry swimsuit after swimming?
Patients with a tendency to the so-called swimming pool infections, I recommend using probiotic gels that acidify intimate areas and thus increase their protection against pathogens. It is enough to apply a small amount to the area of the labia and the vaginal opening just before entering the water.
But beware, this is not always the right solution. In women suffering from atopic dermatitis, allergies, especially sensitive ones, such preparations may cause irritation and thus facilitate infections.
So, could an alternative be to put on tampons that physically block contact with water?
Yes. There are even probiotic tampons soaked in lactic acid that can be helpful. You can put them on while swimming, but remember to get rid of them immediately after bathing. If left in the vagina for a long time, they will cause the multiplication of bacteria and thus cause inflammation.
In addition, tampons also have their opponents. There is a group of physicians who argue that, in fact, the tampon is a barrier to the entry of pathogens. But, and this is also a valid point, when women put them on, they irritate the vaginal wall and wipe the biofilm that protects it, which in turn may result in the colonization of these places by unwanted bacteria.
Like I said, I am personally a bigger supporter of gel blockers. And for ladies prone to irritation, I recommend milder preparations that rebuild the bacterial flora.
Tampons are also not for girls and young women who are not yet intercourse.
But please note that they too suffer from infections much less often. This is because they have lower levels of hormones, their bacterial flora is less susceptible to infection. They are also protected by the hymen. Since they do not have intercourse, the vaginal walls are not irritated. And what many women don’t realize is that there is a small group of women who experience discomfort or symptoms of a bladder infection after each intercourse.
Can you minimize the risk of holiday infections by using special means for daily intimate hygiene?
Those tested on our population, that is, in contact with the vaginal microbiota in women living in our latitude, will help. Preparations that are successfully used by Asian women, as well as residents of the States or Canada, may not work for us.
Also, do not overdo the hygiene itself. By washing themselves with such agents twice a day, not only outside but also deeply, ladies disturb the bacterial balance, which, as I said, increases the likelihood of infection.
Can shaving the intimate area help to keep the intimate area clean and thus reduce severe discomfort?
Here again, as in the case of tampons, it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer. However, it is certainly not a good idea to use one razor for a long time, especially one kept near the shower, where the conditions for bacteria are ideal, and shaving the legs and bikini area with the same blade is not a good idea. A laser may be a better solution.
Holidays are the time when we want to look as attractive as possible. Some of the ladies reach for sexy plastic underwear, some correct their shapes with the help of compression panties. Meanwhile, it is not a discovery that all synthetics favor infections of the genital area. Lack of proper ventilation, high temperature, sweating and abrasions are a simple recipe for trouble. So I recommend cotton underwear.
In addition to bacteria and fungi, infections are also caused by viruses and protozoa. And this brings us to venereal diseases, which, as statistics show, are still a problem.
Not only in young people. This is a problem worth talking about. My young patients think that syphilis is a disease of aristocrats who lived in the 75th century. Meanwhile, today we can even talk about her return. A condom protects us against most venereal diseases. But not always. HPV, or human papillomavirus, can even be passed on during external genital contact. Infection often occurs in people who are new to sexual activity and are not aware of it. It is a very common virus. Its carriers are as much as XNUMX percent. society. In many cases, the disease is limited to the appearance of characteristic warts on the genitals. But some types of HPV are oncogenic and, in short, can lead to cancer if left untreated.
But the vaccine will protect us from that risk, right?
Yes, but remember that HPV vaccination in Poland is not mandatory, but only recommended. Therefore, the percentage of vaccinated women is low.
Intimate infections are mainly associated with women. Gentlemen do not suffer from these holiday ailments?
Rarely, thanks to differences in anatomical structure. The bacteria and fungi that cause these diseases most often like moisture and heat. Such conditions are difficult for men. Although there are mycoses of the penis or bacterial infections of the prostate gland. That is why I always ask my patients if their partner is complaining about any symptoms. If so, both partners must be treated to get rid of the problem.
Also read:
- Why you shouldn’t sleep in panties? [WE EXPLAIN]
- What to look for when buying panties? Advice from the gynecologist
- What to sleep in in hot weather? [WE EXPLAIN]
- Same razor for legs and bikini area, stretchy underwear, use of a jacuzzi. Yes you “invite” intimate infections
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