Home Remedies For Fishy Odor Of Vagina, Some women may notice a fishy odor or unpleasant smell from their vagina or vaginal discharge which may be caused by many reasons like sweating, bacterial vaginosis, or any other reason.
In this article, we will discuss causes, symptoms, and how to treat them with simple and effective home remedies for fishy odor and bad smells of vagina.
Vaginal Fishy Odor Causes and symptoms:
1- Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
The most common reason for the vaginal fishy odor and bad smell is bacterial vaginosis ( BV ).
BV is an infection that happens when there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria inside your vagina which leads to throwing off the natural balance between the good and bad bacteria that normally populate your vagina.
Although BV is not a sexually transmitted disease, some women notice it after sexual intercourse due to the bacterial imbalance of vaginal flora.
Although BV is common, it should be treated as soon as possible because it leads to many health problems. It may affect other genital organs or may cause a serious sexually transmitted disease.
BV also may increase the chance of preterm labor and postpartum infection if it happens during pregnancy.
Symptoms Of BV
-Itching
-Thin white, grey, or green-colored discharge.
2- Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by an organism called Trichomonas vaginalis which is transmitted during intercourse it is also known as (trich).
Trichomoniasis affects 3.7 million people across the United States according to the Center for Disease Control and Protection.
Trichomoniasis is a serious health problem that should be treated because it leads to serious complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or preterm labor if you are pregnant.
Symptoms Of Tricho›moniasis
-Vaginal bad and unpleasant odor.
-Genital itching.
-Painful urination.
-Frothy yellow-green discharge.
-Vaginal soreness and swelling.
Not all people suffer from symptoms so you should get STI screening.
3-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ( PID)
(PID) is one of the reasons for vaginal fishy odor. PID is caused by an infection that spreads from the vagina upwards into the pelvic and other reproductive organs like the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
There are one million cases of PID reported annually in the United States.
ID cases many serious long-term complications, it makes one of ten women become infertile it also may cause ectopic pregnancy.
Symptoms of PID
-vaginal fishy or unpleasant odor
-bleeding after intercourse.
-Lower abdomen pain and congestion.
4-Menstrual cycle changes
Sometimes vaginal fishy and bad odor happen just before menstruation due to changes in acidity levels, hormonal levels, and imbalance in the microflora in the vagina.
Hormonal changes during menopause may cause vaginal fishy and bad odor due to dryness and bacterial balance changes.
5- Other causes
-Excessive sweating
The vaginal fishy odor may be caused by excessive sweating in the pelvic area.
-Unhealthy Diet
An unhealthy diet causes pH levels imbalance which leads to bacterial imbalance inside your vagina too causing vaginal fishy odor as we mentioned before.
-Poor Hygiene
Some bad habits may cause a vaginal fishy odor like wearing synthetic fibers underwears, wiping from back to front after peeing, leaving tampons for a long time inside your vagina, bathing your entire body in strong cleanser, etc all these habits may cause infections or pH changes that cause bad smells so you should avoid that to prevent vaginal fishy odor.
Treatment And Home Remedies For Fishy Odor Of Vagina
First, we should know that vaginal fishy odor may be a serious health problem that needs to consult with your doctor to avoid dangerous complications and home remedies for fishy odor not enough in some cases.
But if you just suffer from vaginal fishy odor without any other symptoms like abnormal discharge, pain, or itching you can try some home remedies for fishy odor which may help.
Home Remedies For Fishy Odor And Unpleasant Smells Of Vagina
At first, you should try to change some of your habits to avoid vaginal fishy and bad odor.
-Wear cotton underwear.
-Avoid douching.
-Don't use a strong cleanser which may change your vaginal pH.
-Wipe from front to back after peeing.
-Don't leave your tampons inside your vagina for a long time.
Now we will show you some home remedies that may be helpful and effective for the prevention of vaginal fishy odor.
1- Baking Soda
One of the most helpful home remedies for the fishy odor of vagina.
As vaginal fishy unpleasant odor may occur due to pH level changes which leads to excessive bacterial and fungal growth so baking soda may help bring your vaginal pH back to normal thus preventing unpleasant odor and maintaining your normal flora growth.
What do you need? How to use it?
You just need ½ cup of baking soda.
Add the baking soda to your water bath
Then soak your lower body in the water for half an hour.
You can also use water and baking soda mixture as a vaginal douche or vaginal wash ( just mix one tablespoon of baking soda with two cups of water ).
2- Yogurt
The second home remedies for the fishy odor we have is yogurt.
As the bad and fishy smell of the vagina may occur because of yeast infection, the high content of probiotic bacteria in yogurt may help fight the growth of harmful yeast and bacteria.
The acidic nature of yogurt also helps to maintain the vaginal pH at a healthy level.
What do you need? How to use it?
All you need is to eat two cups of unsweetened yogurt per day.
You also can insert yogurt inside your vagina just dip a tampon in yogurt then insert it into your vagina leave it for one or two hours then remove it and rinse.
3- Vinegar
The third method of home remedies for fishy odor in this article is vinegar.
Vinegar especially apple cider vinegar is one of the effective remedies to eliminate the vaginal fishy and unpleasant odor. That is because vinegar can get rid of toxins and also has an antibacterial effect due to its acidic nature so it can kill harmful germs.
What do you need? How to use it?
You need one cup of white or apple cider vinegar.
Mix it well with your bath water then soak your lower body for 20 minutes.
You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water as a vaginal douche ( mix two tablespoons of vinegar with two cups of water )
4- Fenugreek
The fourth recipe of home remedies for fishy odor and bad smells of vagina is fenugreek seeds.
Fenugreek has many great benefits for women's health, it helps in hormonal balance maintenance, abdomen fat reduction, digestion improvement, and menstruation cramps.
Due to its effect on hormonal balance fenugreek can be used to get rid of vaginal bad smells.
What do you need? How to use it?
You need one teaspoon of fenugreek and one liter of water.
Mix and boil until the amount of water reduces to half.
Let cool and drink before breakfast every day.
5- Garlic
The fifth method of home remedies for fishy odor is using gaelic.
Garlic is one of the best home remedies to get rid of the vaginal bad and fishy odor that is because garlic has antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria.
But if you have allergies when you use garlic or you feel a burning sensation you should stop using it immediately.
What do you need? How to use it?
You need a garlic clove, a cheesecloth, and a string.
Peel the garlic clove then wrap it in the 6 inches square of cheesecloth.
Attach the string to it then insert it into your vagina. Leave overnight.
Then remove it by using the string.
Summary
The vagina is a very delicate organ that needs a lot of care to maintain its health and to prevent any infection that may cause bad smells and fishy odor. By changing some of your habits and your hygiene routine you can avoid vaginal problems and get rid of bad unpleasant odor.
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Written by: Dr. Sh. Makki
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