Is Your Vaginal pH Balanced? 7 Remedies To Restore It!
‘pH levels’, ‘acidic and basic’ - do these terms ring any bells from your chemistry lecture? Well, don’t be surprised but there's a pH level in your vagina too! Vaginal pH levels play a very crucial role in maintaining your vaginal health. Keeping vaginal pH balanced is the only way of staying away from infections and bacteria. But one might wonder what normal vaginal pH balance in women would look like. Worry not, we’re here to decode what’s normal vaginal pH level and what’s not. Likewise, we’ve got some natural remedies to restore pH balance too. So, keep on reading to know more!
What are pH Levels?
pH levels are measured on a scale from 0 - 14. Among which 7 is considered as the median point. Typically, anything below 7 is labelled acidic and above 7 is basic (alkaline).
What is the Normal Vaginal pH Level?
When it comes to vaginal pH level, 3.8 to 4.5 is considered a normal vaginal pH level. This indicates that the fluids secreted by your vagina are moderately acidic. Being acidic in nature enables your vagina to knock out the bacteria and other infections that grow from time to time. It’s a self-protecting mechanism that keeps your vagina healthy. However, as you get older your vaginal pH level might increase to 5 and become a little less acidic. Similarly, before your first period and after menopause, your vaginal pH would be more than 4.5, which is normal for those stages of life.
Causes Of Imbalanced Vaginal pH Balance
There might be instances where your vaginal pH balance gets disrupted. Here are some of the causes that can lead to imbalanced vaginal pH balance in women:
1. Periods
Your period blood has a higher pH value than your vagina. As the period blood sits in your sanitary pads or tampons, it tends to increase your vaginal pH level.
2. Douching
It’s seen that douching or washing the inside of your vagina with anything other than normal water can raise the vaginal pH level. Thus, you should refrain from douching or any such practices. To know more about douching, click here.
3. Medicines
Medicines, especially birth control pills, tend to kill the healthy bacteria present in your vagina. This disrupts the vaginal pH balance for many women.
4. Unprotected intercourse
Semen being basic (pH of more than 7) in nature tends to increase the vaginal pH level on a temporary basis.
5. Bacterial vaginosis
This condition is caused due to increased ‘bad’ bacteria in the vaginal region. It leads to itching, burning sensation and white or grey discharge.
Symptoms Of Imbalanced Vaginal pH Levels
Here are some tell-tale signs of imbalanced vaginal pH level:
1. Acidic vaginal discharge, which is grey, green or foamy
2. Redness, irritation, or itchiness around vaginal region
3. Vaginal discharge that has a fishy or foul odour
4. Burning sensation while urinating
5. Pain while having intercourse
The above-listed signs are normally associated with bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections or other infections. In case you notice any of these signs it’s always the right decision to visit a doctor immediately. He would ask you to get a vaginal pH test done and provide you with the right treatment at the earliest.
Natural Remedies To Restore Vaginal pH Balance In Women
While your doctor helps you restore your vaginal pH balance, here are a few natural remedies that you can try at home:
1. Add Probiotics To Your Diet
Probiotics foods and supplements usually consist of Lactobacilli - the good bacteria responsible to keep your vagina healthy. By incorporating probiotics, fermented foods like yoghurt, kombucha, pickles, buttermilk and miso can help you easily restore vaginal pH balance. You can also opt for oral probiotic supplements after consulting with your doctor.
2. Cut Down On Sugar
Excessive sugar can raise the pH levels in your vagina and cause yeast infections down there. Thus, it’s best to stay away from sugary drinks, sweets, alcohol and soda.
3. De-Stress
As per a study, an increase in cortisol - the stress hormone tends to disrupt the vaginal pH balance. Thus, it’s advised to manage your stress better. Try meditating, exercising, running, yoga or engaging yourself in a fun activity like sports, dance or music. Do something that relaxes your mind and body.
4. Wear breathable panties
When you wear tight panties, moisture tends to get trapped down there. It becomes a breeding ground for bacteria causing infections, thereby disrupting the vaginal pH levels. Hence, it is always a good idea to wear cotton panties that are well-fitted but not too tight. Likewise, you should wash your panties with mild detergent to avoid any kind of irritation. In case you are experiencing vaginal discharge, using panty liners is a good idea . Try out the ALWAYS Multiform Protect Panty Liners which are 1mm thin and flexible, thereby providing you with comfort. They are mildly scented which keeps odour at bay.
5. Change Tampons At Regular Intervals
Wearing tampons for too long can raise the pH levels in your vagina due to the period blood which is basic in nature. On the other hand, prolonged use of tampons can cause infections and sometimes even toxic shock syndrome. Thus, it is essential to change your tampons every 4 to 8 hours. Try out the ALWAYS TAMPAX Cardboard Tampons. It has a protective skirt that minimises leakage and an anti-slip grip for easy insertion. In addition, the innovative absorbent core soaks the menstrual discharge with ease and allows a worry-free movement.
6. Avoid Douching
Douching tends to worsen the infection and enables the bacteria to spread further. In some cases, excessive douching can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. To stay away from such conditions, it’s best to wash your vagina with normal water and a mild soap if needed.
7. Have Protected Intercourse
As mentioned earlier, semen has a higher pH level ranging from 7.1 to 8. It disrupts the vaginal pH balance for a short period of time. To avoid it from happening, having protected intercourse is the easiest way out.
Takeaway
Keeping your vaginal pH level balanced is the only way to stay away from infections, foul odour and itchy vagina. In case you notice any signs of imbalanced pH levels, you can opt for at-home vaginal pH tests. However, it's always best to visit a doctor and get your doubts cleared.
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FAQs
1. What changes vaginal pH levels?
Factors like douching, bacterial vaginosis, semen, medicines, period blood and other infections tend to change vaginal pH levels.
2. Can you use vaginal pH test strips for yeast infection?
No, you cannot use vaginal pH test strips to detect yeast infection.
3. Why is the vagina acidic?
The pH level of the vagina lies between 3.5 to 4.5 which is put in under the acidic spot. Being acidic enables the vagina to fight bacteria and keep the vagina healthy.
Disclaimer:
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