Hygiene on critical days: which tool to choose?

Today, advertisers mostly talk about intimate hygiene with a woman. And if you believe the commercials, then the main concern these days is to “keep up appearances”: so that not a single drop leaks. But what about the health of the intimate sphere and internal organs? And what remedy to choose if a woman has abundant or, conversely, meager menstrual flow? In this case, you need to start by bringing their volume to normal.

Normal critical days

In traditional Chinese medicine, the norm is determined according to the “Gold Standard” of menstruation: it begins and ends with a scarlet drop of blood, lasts several days, moderately abundant.

If, before or after menstruation, discharge appears, menstruation is meager or, conversely, there are too many of them, this is an occasion to consult a doctor in order to exclude organic pathology. You can also get acquainted with female Taoist practices, which in a few months are able to bring the cycle to the Taoist ideal.

But whatever the monthly, hygiene product should take care of health right now. What to prefer?

Gaskets

The reasons for the popularity of pads are obvious – this is a tool known for centuries and approved by generations. In ancient times, they were made from improvised materials such as dry grass or moss. Today, these are products of the chemical industry, which have obvious advantages:

• pads are suitable even for the youngest girls;
• simple and familiar to use;
• do not come into contact with the natural flora inside the vagina;
• do not create pressure on the muscles of the vagina and pelvic organs from the inside.

However, despite the popularity of pads among women, not all doctors approve of them: even the most “breathable” are impervious to air and inevitably create a greenhouse effect. In addition, pads are extremely unsustainable in production and disposal – it takes more than 100 years for a single pad to completely decompose.

If we talk about women’s health, then here are the side effects that are possible when using pads:

• irritation due to the “greenhouse effect”;
• allergy to synthetic material and fragrances;
• an unpleasant odor due to the growth of bacteria;
• and, in principle, the creation of favorable conditions for the development of conditionally pathogenic bacteria – already 15 minutes after the first blood hit the pad.

Tampons

Not so long ago, tampons caused a large number of questions and concerns: “How is it? Right in?!” But now they have gained popularity along with pads. What are the benefits of tampons?

• Compact – easy to carry around
• comfortable – allow you to lead a familiar active lifestyle;
• are not felt inside with the correct introduction;
• hygienic – do not lead to the appearance of an unpleasant odor;
• reliable – the tampon gently absorbs the blood inside and is removed.

But what is really going on inside the body? Doctors call the risks of using tampons:

• tampons are not sterile, and when they enter a hot, humid environment, conditionally pathogenic bacteria multiply with increased activity;
• they absorb not only blood, but also the useful substrate of the vagina, violating the natural environment;
• block the outflow of fluid from the uterus, increasing the risk of developing toxic shock syndrome.

From the point of view of Taoist medicine, there is another important factor against which is not talked about so often: while inside, the tampon increases in size and creates unphysiological pressure on the walls of the vagina and internal organs. Due to this, the pelvic organs can move relative to each other – not much, of course, and no one will notice it by eye.

However, our body is a rather thin, balanced system, and the displacement of one element entails a variety of “distortions”. In particular, slightly displaced, misaligned organs do not function as they should. Over time, this violation can accumulate, leading to various diseases, up to hormonal disruptions.

Given that Taoist doctors sometimes diagnose illnesses years before they debut, their opinion may seem a bit far-fetched. In fact, after a single use of a tampon, of course, nothing will move anywhere. But if a woman uses tampons for years, thereby violating both the microflora and the functionality of organs, then this can lead to negative consequences.

menstrual cups

This hygiene product in our country appeared last of those listed. As with everything new, the attitude towards it is wary – until recently it was the same with tampons. Here are some of the benefits of using a menstrual cup:

• it does not change its size and does not displace the internal organs;
• does not absorb the beneficial flora of the vagina;
• neutral to the vaginal mucosa inside and out;
• not felt inside and outside;
• allows for sterility;
• if necessary, it can safely stay inside for up to 12 hours;
• holds up to 30 ml of liquid;
• has a service life of up to 10 years.

If the cup is installed correctly, then it is completely not felt inside and does not let blood out even with active movement. However, here are some of the difficulties you may encounter:

• rather high cost compared to disposable means – about 2000 rubles;
• to ensure sterility when changing the bowl, conditions are necessary to disinfect the hands and sterilize the bowl – and at work or in the “field” conditions this is not easy to do, and if you do not follow the rules for “reinstalling” it, unwanted contact of the hands with the vaginal mucosa and the bowl is inevitable;
• the presence of a foreign body in the vagina can create physical or psychological discomfort;
• Difficulties with insertion and proper insertion – especially at the beginning of use;
• the possibility of leakage of menstrual blood.

Hygiene rules

In Taoist medicine, there are several recommendations for intimate hygiene that are universal for everyone on menstruation days. And first of all, traditional doctors recommend using ordinary water for hygiene (and not napkins or other products): take a shower or use a bidet after each trip to the toilet. At the same time, it is important to avoid getting water inside – due to this, the microflora of the vagina can be disturbed, and this leads to various inflammatory diseases.

The temperature of the water should be warm – as hot and cold can lead to a delay in menstruation. If irritation of the mucous membrane occurs inside or outside due to the use of disposable hygiene products, you can use infusion of chamomile, tea, string to wash away.

Difficulties in choosing

Obviously, there is no remedy that is 100% safe and suitable for every woman. The surest way to choose the best option is to consult a doctor, discuss the pros and cons of the means and take into account the individual characteristics of the body.