– Just forget to change your bathing suit to dry after leaving the water or dry yourself with a towel that has been in contact with sand or a deckchair. Holding a razor in the shower or bathtub also creates ideal conditions for the development of intimate infections. It used to be the season for them in summer. Since we go on holiday to warm countries in winter – it lasts all year round – argues gynecologist, MD Marcin Mika.
- Dr. Marcin Mika, MD: sometimes it is enough to forget to change your bathing suit to a dry one or wipe yourself with a towel that has been in contact with sand or a deckchair to catch not only a bacterial but also a fungal infection
- Some women, noticing symptoms of intimate infection, try to heal it on their own. However, the preparations available in over-the-counter pharmacies are mostly supplements that act as blockers – they prevent the further development of infection. However, they are not able to cure it
- Replace your intimate razors regularly. Keeping them in the shower or bathtub creates ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria. It is also not a good idea to use the same razor for your bikini area and legs
- At the beginning of the infection there is pain and burning, but often such symptoms disappear after a few days or after menstruation. This means that the body dealt with them on its own. If the symptoms persist, see a doctor
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Many women complain about intimate infections after the summer. We usually think that the easiest place to ‘catch’ something is the swimming pool. And other places? What should we be careful about?
The problem of intimate infections is related not so much to the summer, but to the holiday period itself. Since more and more women go on vacation to warm countries in winter, the season of this type of infection lasts all year round.
Regardless of the direction of travel, however, the causes of these conditions are the same. These include swimming in standing, warm water reservoirs, e.g. swimming pools, jacuzzis or small lakes. It is an ideal environment for pathogens. Many of them are also located on the outskirts of such reservoirs, where ladies often sunbathe or dry them after bathing. What’s more, sometimes it is enough to forget to change your bathing suit to dry after leaving the water or wipe yourself with a towel that has been in contact with sand or a deckchair. In this way, you can catch not only a bacterial infection, but also a fungal infection. Fungi, like bacteria, also like a warm and humid environment. After moving to the area of the intimate organs, they only wait to be able to start developing when our immune system is weakened.
The most difficult to cure are those bacteria that were brought from exotic countries. Laboratories often have problems with determining their drug sensitivity, so the treatment process can take up to months. Pathogens imported from Tunisia, the Dominican Republic or Egypt colonize the vaginal environment and are a big challenge for gynecologists.
obstetrician and gynecologist dealing with, among others diagnosis and treatment of infertility at the Superior Medical Center in Krakow.
How to protect yourself against intimate infections in the summer? What can each of us do?
Before going abroad, especially to a country where access to doctors may be difficult, it is worth meeting your gynecologist. Knowing the patient’s body and the risks associated with such a leave, he will advise you on appropriate preventive measures or prescribe medications. If the visit does not take place and the woman catches the infection during the vacation, she can call her gynecologist who, based on the patient’s card and the described symptoms, is able to determine the probable cause of the disease and inform the woman how to get rid of it.
In addition, it is also worth using preventive measures to minimize the risk of intimate infections. In addition to changing a wet suit to a dry one after bathing and drying yourself with a clean towel, I often recommend probiotic gels to my patients. They acidify the intimate areas, thus increasing protection against these pathogens. A small amount of it should be applied to the area of the vaginal opening and labia just before entering the water reservoir. However, it should be remembered that this solution will not work for women who suffer from allergies or atopic dermatitis, because such preparations can irritate sensitive skin and thus facilitate infections.
Yet another way is to use tampons that physically block contact with water. There are also special probiotic tampons that are soaked in lactic acid. You should put them in before the bath, and immediately after leaving the pool you should get rid of them. If left in the vagina for a long time, they can encourage the growth of bacteria and cause inflammation. However, tampons also have their opponents, who point out that they irritate the vaginal wall and wipe the biofilm that protects it, as a result of which bad bacteria can colonize the intimate area. Personally, I am a supporter of blocker gels and milder preparations rebuilding the bacterial flora for women prone to irritation.
- Up to 30 different microbes. You can catch these diseases in the swimming pool
What mistakes do Polish women most often make in terms of protection against this type of ailments? Do we wear synthetic underwear, do we overdo it?
Some women, noticing symptoms of an intimate infection during their holidays, try to heal it on their own. However, preparations available in pharmacies without a prescription are mostly supplements that act as blockers, i.e. prevent further development of infection. However, they are not able to cure it. Without the use of appropriate measures, such as cream or suppositories, prescribed by a gynecologist, it is possible not to get rid of this problem. Moreover, it is a common mistake to use products for daily intimate hygiene that do not match the organisms of Polish women. The preparations that have been tested in contact with the vaginal microbiota present in women functioning in our latitude may minimize the risk of holiday infections. Drugs that work for American or Asian women may not work for European women.
Also, do not overdo it. Twice a day deep washing with intimate hygiene products disturbs the bacterial balance, which also increases the risk of infection.
It is also worth paying attention to regularly replacing the razors in the genital area. Keeping them in the shower or bathtub creates ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria. It is also not a good idea to use the same razor for your bikini area and legs. All kinds of synthetic underwear are conducive to infections of the intimate area. It is easy to contract such a disease in the absence of adequate ventilation, sweating, high temperature and abrasions. The use of cotton underwear is definitely better for the genital tract.
What diseases are covered by the general phrase “intimate infection”? What can we get infected in summer?
The spectrum of such diseases of the genital tract is very wide. Changes in the intimate area may be the result of a mixed infection, bacterial-fungal, bacterial, fungal or viral.
The most common “holiday” infection is the bladder cold. Moving in a wet bathing suit or sitting on cold surfaces leads to the cooling of the pelvic area.
The uterus, ovaries, urinary system organs function properly until homeostasis is maintained (appropriate proportions of beneficial bacteria and pathogens). Changing conditions can lead to its disturbance and the creation of a good environment for the development of unwanted microorganisms. Then an infection occurs, which can develop into a urogenital infection (around the vagina) or an infection of the urinary tract.
How do I know if there is a problem? What symptoms should worry us?
At first, there is pain and burning, but often such symptoms disappear after a few days or after menstruation. This means that the body dealt with them on its own. If the symptoms persist, see a doctor.
I do not recommend self-treatment of such diseases, because the patient is not able to recognize what type of infection she is experiencing. Women often make it difficult for doctors to diagnose when taking a variety of measures on their own. Medicinal substances alter the pH of the vagina, so a clinical examination is not enough to determine the cause of the infection. Then you have to rely on microbiological tests, the results of which are obtained after a week. In the meantime, the patient is taking empirical medications prescribed for her symptoms.
- Venereal diseases are not only transmitted sexually. You can catch them in the swimming pool or in the solarium
What can a lack of awareness of this matter lead us to? What diseases and complications may be the result of a neglected infection in the summer?
It is worth remembering that apart from fungi and bacteria, infections can also be caused by viruses and protozoa. And so we come to the topic of venereal diseases, which are still quite a big problem. Young patients sometimes think that, for example, syphilis is a problem of the XNUMXth century. Meanwhile, we can now talk about its relapse. Especially during holidays, remember about appropriate security. A condom protects against the vast majority of sexually transmitted diseases. However, the human papillomavirus, or HPV, can already be transmitted through contact with the external genitalia. Infection often occurs in people who are unaware of the danger or are just starting intercourse. HPV carriers are as many as 75% of the population. Usually, the disease is limited only to the characteristic warts in the intimate area, however, some types of the virus have oncogenic features, i.e. if not observed and untreated, they can lead to cancer. In Poland, the HPV vaccine is recommended but not obligatory, therefore few women are protected against this disease.
And the gentlemen? Do they also suffer from intimate infections?
Interestingly, men suffer from holiday ailments much less frequently. This is mainly due to differences in anatomy. Fungi and bacteria most often causing intimate infections like a moist and warm environment, which is much more difficult for men. However, there are bacterial infections of the prostate gland or mycoses of the penis, so I always ask about possible symptoms of her partner when treating my patient.
Read also:
- What do Polish women hear from gynecologists? «You saved money on a condom», «your breasts are too small»
- My period is late. Is it because of the coronavirus and quarantine?
- Letter to the editor: gynecologists suggested I was faking or asked if I was cheating on my husband
- «I slept with two colleagues. I’m not proud of it »
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