14 Reasons Your Vagina May Be Smelly

Every woman has a smell to her vagina; however when it becomes really offensive, it may be a sign that something is not right down below.

Here are some of the things that may be causing your vagina odour;

1. Allergy to condoms

Some women are allergic to certain materials used in making condoms, this can trigger vaginal bacteria and cause odour.

2. Douching and Excessive cleaning

Douching can mess with the pH levels of the vagina and even cause a large amount of bacteria to grow. According to experts; you do not need anything inside your vagina to clean it: no douche, no essential oils, and no soap. The vagina can clean itself.

3. Sweat

The skin around your vagina is prone to  sweating. Sweat when combined with vaginal discharge can give off offensive odour.  If you are very active physically especially if you exercise a lot, sweat can be accumulating down there, and this can give your vagina

 smell too.

4. Leftover tampon

For women who use tampons, be sure there are no fibers left behind when removing the tampon as this can also cause vaginal odor.

5. Wearing underwear at night

Night time is a good time to let the vagina get some air, wearing tight panties to sleep can cause you to sweat and trigger odor. Also avoid wearing tight clothing during the day.

6. Laundry detergent

Scented detergent can cause your vagina to be irritated, this in turn can cause odor. If possible wash your underwear with unscented detergent to avoid irritation.

7. Excess pubic hair

Trim or shave away your pubic hair to avoid odor from being trapped there and to allow air on the skin around your vagina.

8. Synthetic materials

Some material do not allow air to flow through and this may cause sweat and in turn odor. When choosing panties it is better to go for non synthetic materials.

9. Spicy food

According to research spicy food can cause a sudden increase in vaginal discharge, which can cause vaginal odor.

10. Sex

Research says that the pH levels of semen can alter the natural balance of the vagina, this can cause odor after sex. STDS can also lead to infections which can cause odor

11. A bad diet

In order for your vagina to build up beneficial flora, you need to be eating a healthy diet. Some foods can also cause odor like garlic, onion, asparagus and curry as foods that can cause vaginal odor.

12. Pregnancy

During pregnancy, many of vitamins and minerals are passed along to your baby, and this can throw off the pH levels in your vagina.

13. Medications

Medications such as antibiotics can affect the bacterial balance of your vagina leading to changes in odor and discharge.

14. Hormonal Changes

The amount of discharge varies throughout menstrual cycles. Birth control pills and vaginal creams can also have an effect on the vaginal PH and odor as well.

What to do when you have vaginal odor?

Many women believe that vaginal odor are the result of a lack of personal hygiene and excessively wash their v**ina unaware that they worsen the problem. While poor private part hygiene can be the cause, excessive washing is not the solution.

Very often, women hampered by a strong vaginal odor should not begin to wash themselves intensively. That does not help at all. The first thing to do should be restoring the acidity and the balance of the vaginal flora naturally. That restoration cannot be done by excessive antibiotic intake; it decreases your immune system.

How to restore the balance of the vaginal flora?

The vaginal flora consists of a large number of microaerophilic bacteria. Among them, lactobacilli are considered the principal ones for their role in protecting the v**ina.

These micro-organisms are primarily responsible for protective acidity of the v**ina. Wash the v**ina too often increases its pH, which disrupts the vaginal flora and can cause vaginal infections and particularly unpleasant odors. That is, do not rush to wash your vaginal excessively when you suffer from vaginal health issues.

If the vaginal flora is disrupted, pathogenic bacteria proliferate, resulting in bacterial vaginosis. This type of proliferation tends to increase the number of bacteria normally present in the v**ina causing unpleasant fishy vaginal odor.