How to Get Rid of Vaginal Odor

The vagina has a natural odor that is normal and expected, but If you’ve noticed an unpleasant odor, you might be able to get rid of it by changing your food, personal care routine, or hygiene items.

Vaginal odor can be affected by a variety of variables, some of which are:

Everyday sweating
Sexual activities
the regular occurrence of menstruation

Vaginal odor is affected by the menstrual cycle and might change during the menstrual cycle.

However, vaginal odor can be a symptom of more serious conditions such as Rectovaginal fistula, Cervical cancer, or Vaginal cancer.

Itching, Burning, Erupting
Inflammation or discomfort
In addition, bacterial vaginosis (vaginal infection) or trichomoniasis (stinking vagina) could be the origin of a strong, fishy stench (a sexually transmitted disease caused by a parasite). Set up a visit with your doctor to talk about antibiotics to treat the illness.

Vaginal odor is defined as what exactly?
Any odor coming from the vagina is considered vaginal odor. The vaginal odor might be the usual scent of vaginal secretion or it can be a sign of an illness.

Is it normal to have a smell in the genitalia?
In no way can the vaginal area be odorless. The vagina has a scent, just like the entire body, belly button, and armpits, and the smell isn’t that like a herb or a flower.

Home treatments for vaginal odor
If your vagina smells a little funny but you don’t have any other symptoms, you might be able to get rid of the smell on your own.

Take a shower or bath often

The bad smell could just mean you need to take a shower. Sweat, dead skin, and dirt can build up in the area, and just like these things can change how your armpits smell, they can also change how your vagina smells. Taking care of your hygiene on a regular basis can help you avoid getting that smell that you don’t like.

Don’t wash inside your vagina

To be clear, you can and should wash the outside of your vagina (also called the vulva), but you shouldn’t put water, a washcloth, or soap in your hole.

It’s true that a woman’s vagina is a self-cleaning machine. The bacteria in the vaginal canal are naturally made to keep the canal healthy and clean, and you don’t have to do anything for them to work well.

It’s not only pointless to wash inside the vaginal canal, but it’s also dangerous. When you wash inside the vaginal canal, especially with soaps that smell nice, you can mess up the natural bacteria and pH of your vagina. And when the natural mix of bacteria in your vagina is upset, you put yourself at risk of getting infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV), which affects the smell of your genitalia in a bad way.

Stay hydrated

We’re not talking about alcohol, nope. We are talking about water, the good old clear stuff.

It’s good for more than just your skin to drink a lot of water. It can also help your vagina’s overall health by making you sweat and release fluids in a healthy way, says Deysach. More you learn!

Eat a healthy diet

As a general rule, greasy fast food smells stronger than a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Just be aware: Some foods with strong smells, like asparagus, garlic, and onions, can make vagina smell worse. So, if you’ve been eating a lot of these foods of late, just stop eating them and your vagina could smell like it used.

Prescription treatments for vaginal odor
There are no over-the-counter medicines that treat just vaginal odor. The unusual vaginal odor is caused by a change in vaginal bacteria, an infection, or a change in hormones. All of these things can be treated with medication. For example, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are all bacterial STDs that can affect vaginal odor and can be treated with a prescription antibiotic.

“And for people going through menopause who are having changes in their odors or other symptoms that are caused by changes in their hormones, you can give them localized or oral hormone replacement drugs that help,” she says.

Vaginal odor ‘treatments’ to avoid

Foods

Let it be known that under no circumstances should you put garlic gloves, cottage cheese, or yogurt in your vaginal canal. The food won’t do anything good for your vaginal microbiome; it will only hurt it.

Fragrant feminine hygiene products

There are tampons, pads, and toilet paper with scents on the market. Don’t do these. The vagina is a very delicate ecosystem, and these fragrant products are going to hurt it.

Don’t use anything with dyes or a strong scent that is meant for douching. Instead, when you take a shower or bath, just use water and mild soap to clean the area. (Don’t use harsh soaps, anything in your vagina, or anything that has a scent.) When you’re done, pat yourself gently dry.

How to clean

Diet

Some foods can make your vagina smell like fish or something else. Asparagus, broccoli, certain spices like garlic and onions, and some types of fish are among them. If you want to be safe, you can stay away from these foods. But all of them are healthy in small amounts, so you don’t have to cut them all out of your diet.

Supplements

A probiotic might help get the balance of bacteria in your gut and vagina back to where it should be. If you want to try a probiotic, you can look for one at your local pharmacy or ask your doctor which one would help you the most.

Change your routine

If you smell like fish, it could be because you sweat too much. Talk to your doctor if you are worried about how much you sweat. Make sure you clean your vulva well with mild soap and water after working out and pat it dry.

When to see a doctor or another medical professional

If you’re worried about something, it’s always best to talk to a healthcare professional.