You are not the one who is going through vaginal odor. Every woman and teenage girls commonly experience vaginal odor. This problem occurs at a different stage of all women’s lives. The unusual smell may happen even if you take good care of your body and vagina. The odor may associate with bacterial infections which occur light and become severe.

Every female is different and has a diverse combination of natural bacteria which stay in vaginal tracts.

When suddenly you sense a change in your natural vaginal odor then you need to pay attention. Many women feel embarrassed to discuss it and merely ignore it. But it’s crucial condition to consult your gynecologist.

Causes Of Vaginal Odor

Table of Contents

Bacterial Vaginosis

The bacterial vaginosis may sound daunting term, but it is a common health condition. It is a most probable cause of vaginal odor. Every woman’s vagina has different natural bacteria, and bacterial vaginosis is an overgrowth of natural bacteria.

According to Mayo Clinic specialist Dr. Mary .M. Gallenberg, maximum population of woman gets bacterial vaginosis at least once in their reproductive years. Other causes include unprotected sex, and frequent use of vaginal wash products may increase the risk. You may also get soreness, itching, and discharge.

Yeast Infection

Yeast infection is one of the uncomfortable causes of vaginal odor. It appears similar to bacterial vaginosis with thick white discharge. But yeast infection is not readily detectable as it doesn’t have much smell. Yeast infection is a typical fungal infection affected by an excess of yeast called Candida.

The vaginal discharge is related to fungal infections which looks like cottage cheese and odor-free. But sometime, when disease grows more, it may produce mild odor. This infection accompanied with vaginal redness, burning, and pain during urination and intercourse and itching. Expert with medications treats this infection.

Generally, yeast infections don’t require antibiotics. You can treat with antifungal treatments with 1 or 3 courses. Your doctor may prescribe you oral antifungal medicines.

Sexually Transmitted Disease

The sexually transmitted disease may cause your vaginal odor. The most affecting infections are gonorrhea and chlamydia. These diseases can treat by an expert, but it will cause risky complication if left untreated. Sometimes both infections are not having any symptoms, so it is hard to diagnose. You may identify these diseases only with pus discharge and painful urination with the presence of an unpleasant odor.

Apart from that, there is another sexually transmitted disease called Trichomoniasis by parasite vaginalis. The affected women may experience greenish discharge with a foul odor which accompanied by urination pain. See your doctor immediately to prevent developing disease.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

If your sexually transmitted infection left untreated, then it will develop the pelvic inflammatory disease. It is a disease of female reproductive organs which may result as a complication such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. The pelvic inflammatory disease also causes vaginal odor. The symptoms will appear such as pelvic pain, painful intercourse.

Pelvic inflammatory diseases will not appear until you will not feel constant pain. You may also consult your doctor if you find difficult to get pregnant. The sever pelvic inflammatory disease will result in ectopic pregnancies and infertility.

Poor Female Hygiene

Poor hygiene is one of the causes of vaginal odor. Vagina consists of many complicated, delicate parts and requires proper care. Make sure to keep your genital part clean and fresh to prevent foul odor. Excess sweating around the genital area after a physical workout or heavy activity causes vaginal odor. Why because women have sweat gland around the vaginal area for the natural smell and poor hygiene convert sweat into awful odor.

Forgotten Tampon

Some woman forgets about changing a tampon. Prolonged unchanged things may also cause feminine odor. Even it can create serious health problems such as toxic shock syndrome.

What Are The Healthy Tips To Eliminate Vaginal Odor?

Here is the in-depth guide to eliminate vaginal odor.

Maintain Good Hygiene

Keep your vagina and around area clean. Wash it regularly with clean water and mild soap. Cleaning correctly and continuously will remove the sweat, dirt and dead skin. Remember not to use perfumed soaps and gel as it contains chemicals which may imbalance the natural pH of the vagina. Even you can wipe vagina after washing with a soft cloth. It will prevent the wetness which later mixes with sweat and causes an itching problem.

Yogurt Bath

Yogurt is a natural ingredient to reduce the vaginal odor. Yogurt is rich with lactobacillus bacteria. It can help to get rid of Candida infection, which is an essential factor to trigger the smell. Yogurt also helps to restore the average pH level of the vagina. Once your pH gets stable, you can forget about worrying about odor problem.

You can also try another option by soaking a tampon in plain yogurt and insert into your body. Keep it for 2 -3 hours and remove. Make sure to wash with clean water all area.

Skip Silk and Wear Cotton

Women look sexier in silk and satin cloths, but health wise it is not right. Silk doesn’t soak the fluid and sweat as cotton does. So you need to change your silk essentials with cotton briefs to prevent vaginal odor. Make sure to take a bath and change your undergarments every day. Wearing the same panties every day may increase the bacterial growth and lead to the severe problem of vaginal odor.

Boric Acid

Boric acid is lightly antiseptic and acidic. It helps to restore the acidic levels of the vagina.

You may be unaware of lactobacillus which is a bacteria to stable the acidity of the vaginal area. In certain situations, substances like menstrual blood or semen may affect the acidity of your vagina and make it soluble. This condition affects the pH level of the vagina and develops alkalinity which leads to bacterial growth. Therefore boric acid stops vaginal odor.

Let’s know how to use boric acid.

Take boric acid and gelatin capsules size â€œ00.â€
Fill the boric acid in gelatin capsules and store it safely.
Insert a boric acid filled capsule into your vagina and keep it overnight.
You can use this method every week 2 – 3 times

Boric acid is the best prevention for vaginal odor. It helps to reduce bacterial vaginosis and stop the condition which may lead to infection. You may need to check the boric acid measurement if you feel you will get bacterial vaginosis. Taking doctor advice is a better idea.

Warning:

Do not consume boric acid capsules orally as it may cause you diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea.
Keep it away from children.
Do not use boric acid capsule in vagina if you are trying for pregnancy or you are pregnant.

Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek seeds are good for women health. It makes menstrual cycle regular and balance hormones.

You can make the powder of fenugreek seeds and add two teaspoons in water. Drink this water every morning in empty stomach. You can try boiling the fenugreek seeds in a cup of water and make herbal tea. If you get any irritation from fenugreek, then you can immediately stop it. Generally, fenugreek is a helpful remedy to prevent vaginal odor.

Apple Cider Vinegar

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Apple cider is rich with antibacterial and antiseptic properties. The Apple vinegar cider is a helpful tip to reduce vaginal odor naturally. Even taking the apple vinegar bath can helpful. Taking a shower will help to fight the toxins and beat the bacteria. It also helps to restore the vaginal flora acidic quality.

Process of using Apple Cider Vinegar:

Every day drink a glass of water mixed with 1 -2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
Alternatively, you can try mixing 2 cups of apple cider vinegar in a warm water bath.
You need to soak your body in apple vinegar water for 20 minutes and then rinse your body with regular water.
You can try this tip many time a week to get a valid result.

If you are not comfortable with soaking your body and bath, you can try other options such as

Make a drink with 8-ounce water and 1-ounce apple cider vinegar and drink it every day. It will help control the bacterial growth in the vagina as well as in the whole body.
Soak a tampon in vinegar diluted solution and insert into the vagina and remove it after 1 hour.

Homemade Herbal Capsules

The herbal remedy is one of the best tips to eliminate the vaginal odor. These herbal capsules help naturally and reduce the odor overnight. It is an excellent option to minimize bacterial vaginosis and balance lactobacilli.

To make the herbal pills at home, you will need the following things, such as

“00” gelatin capsules
2 part goldenseal root powder
1 part comfrey root powder
1 part slippery elm bark powder
1 part yellow dock root powder
1 part Echinacea root powder
1 part Myrrh gum powder

You need to take the part of herbal powders by its weight. Mix all the powder to make application and fill in the 00 gelatin capsules. Each capsule can hold 734 gm powder. So you will need to fill the five tablets in one teaspoon of herbal powder. Keep safely after preparing the capsules. You will need to take 2 -3 capsules per day. Continue making the tablet for 1-2 weeks till you see the improvement.

Alum

Alum is an aluminum sulfate and utilized for food pickling and water sanitizing. Additionally, it is useful for maintaining body odor.

Alum is tradition and natural facial ointment for men for controlling bleeding from shaving cuts. Alum is easily breakable in water so it can mix with sweat to stop the overgrowth of the bacteria that cause odor. The astringent and antiseptic qualities of alum are an essential factor for restricting the bacterial growth which causes foul vaginal odor. Alum is helpful for vaginal discharge caused by smell. To use the alum follow the steps.

Take a quarter tsp of alum powder and mix in one glass of water.
Drink the solution twice every day.
It can help to balance leucorrhoea and reduce abnormal vaginal discharge which is a significant cause of vaginal odor.
You can also buy alum stick. To use the alum stick, soak it in water and gently rub on the vagina. Repeat this method 1- 2 times a day.
Another method you can try, mix the alum powder and wash the vaginal area.

Foods with Vitamin C

According to many health research, there is no evidence found on how vitamin C helps to eliminate vaginal odor. A study in 2009 from the Institute of Midwifery shown proof of Vitamin C can help in reducing bacterial vaginosis and yeast infection. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C boost the immune system and fight bacterial infections. Taking a proper amount of vitamin C can be beneficial.

Baking Soda

Some women get vaginal odor due to endometriosis disease. In such condition, you can try mixing a half cup of baking soda in bathing water. Soak your lower body for 15 – 20 minutes. Then dry body with a clean cloth. It can help to eliminate vaginal odor naturally.

Tea Tree Oil

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Many women skip talking about vaginal odor and build-up infection. Te tree oil is another best home remedy to eliminate the vaginal odor without taking any medication. It is effortless to use, add some drop of tea tree oil in water and wash the affected area. You can do this once in a day for a week.

Gooseberry

Gooseberry is a traditional home ingredient to get rid of vaginal odor. It is a natural cleanser for body infections and controls the cause of vaginal odor. You can find it in the local market. Eat some 2-3 gooseberries every day to treat the entire problem.

Neem leaves

Neem is a miracle remedy which contains antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. It is the best home remedy to eliminate vaginal odor. You can build the neem leaves and cool down the water then strain it and wash the affected area. You can do this several times every week till you see the result.

Lavender Oil

Lavender oil can help you stay away from vaginal odor. Lavender liquid naturally prevents the itching and irritation in the vagina. You can mix hazel and lavender oil in water and wash the affected area.

Have Citrus Fruits

You can eat fruits such as orange and grapes which are rich in citrus. It will balance pH levels and prevent toxins from the body. These fruits also contain vitamin C, which can stable the immune system and avoid vaginal infection and odor.

Garlic

Garlic is an effective antibiotic to remove vaginal odor. You need to insert a clove of garlic into your vagina and remove it after 1 hour. After eliminating clove wash the affected area with warm or cold water.

Eat More Green Vegetables

Apart from cleaning and washing, build a healthy diet. Eat green leafy vegetables and fruits to maintain a healthy body. Make sure to avoid spicy food, caffeine, alcohol because this food consumption results in yeast infection.

Try Perfume

If you experience strong bad vaginal odor and finding embarrassing at the workplace, then try perfume. You can spray the mild scent from knees to inner thighs. It will reduce some odor. But do practice the tips mentioned in this article to prevent the vaginal odor completely.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberries are another best tip to eliminate that vaginal odor. It contains proanthocyanidins which help to prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to cells in the body. Connecting bacteria is an initial stage to develop an infection such as bacterial vaginosis. Cranberry juice modifies the cell membranes of bacteria and prevents it from coming to the contact with cells. It also flushes out all toxins from your body and reduces urinary tract infections.

Turmeric Milk

Turmeric and milk are the natural and affordable things to reduce the vaginal odor. It contains antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties which kill the harmful bacteria and boost immunity.

Add one teaspoon turmeric in 1 glass milk and drink. You can boil the turmeric roots and wash the affected part.

Stop Using Soap

The chemical containing in soap and beauty products causes vaginal odor. They affect the pH balance of your vagina and cause you to get discharge accompanied by a fishy smell. You can use mild soap which doesn’t contain any harmful chemical. Try to avoid using soap in the vagina. Remember, do not use the spray in the vagina which reduces good bacteria and cause an odor problem.

Avoid Hot Bath

A hot bath may cause to kill the natural bacteria. Instead of a hot shower, you can try a warm bath which is more soothing for the vaginal affected part and remove the odor.

Avoid Foods High In Sugar And Yeast

Foods such as bread, mushrooms, cake, and beer contain high sugar and yeast. Eating more of these foods causes vaginal odor more than usual. You may crave for sugary foods, but you need to change it with a healthy diet to get rid of eating the more sugary product.

Eat Yogurt

Yogurt is a health-friendly food which contains good bacteria called probiotics. These good bacteria help immune system and digestion. Eating yogurt can reverse the yeast infection and eliminate vaginal odor. You can eat a cup of yogurt every day to improve vaginal health.

Keep Your Toilet Clean

Make sure to clean the surface of your restroom before sitting. The uncleaned toilet may have bacteria, which causes infection. Remember, do not flush while sitting because bacteria can fly and enter into the vagina.

Clean Your Genital Parts Before Sex

It is vital to get cleaned before having sex. Before and after sex donâ€™t skip to wash your vagina to prevent sexually transmitted bacteria and infection. If you left your vagina unwashed, it may cause the growth of disease and increase the odor. Even you can ask your partner to keep clean and maintain a healthy body.

Use Comfortable Undergarments

Wearing tight and uncomfortable underwear prevent your vagina from breathing. It also causes you poor blood circulation and inflammation. The clothes, such as nylon trap the sweat, heat, and cause overgrowth of infection. Increased wetness around the vaginal area starts to build skin irritation and rashes which affect vaginal health and cause odor. Therefore, wear comfortable cotton clothes.

Change Sanitary Pads

Donâ€™t forget to change your sanitary pads after every 3 hours. Keeping sanitary pads for a long time during periods increase the bacterial infection. You should use the pads carefully because using harsh may cause vaginal rashes and odor.

Stop Eating Oily Food

It is an important tip to reduce vagina odor overnight. Skip meat and foods which contain a lot of oil. The fatty foods cause unpleasant vaginal odor and make you feel unconfident wherever you go. Therefore, eat healthy and oil-free food.

Vaginal Odor During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body experiences many changes including hormones. According to research 9 in 10 women get an abnormal vaginal odor. The changes in vaginal odor during pregnancy is normal, but you need to take care with above tips to stop over growing infections.

How To Prevent Getting Vaginal Odor Again?

After preventing vaginal odor, it may come back again because it depends on vaginal pH. If pH becomes imbalance, it may still cause vaginal odor. So, follow the extra tips such as

Stay hydrated; drink plenty of water to promote healthy fluid in body and release of sweat.
Maintain hygiene by regular washing vaginal area. Do not scratch over itching.
Change your inner wear every day.
Maintain a healthy diet and do regular exercise.
If you get excess sweat, then consider taking a bath every day.

The above vaginal odor prevention tips can help you. Consult your doctor if the disease becomes severe.