Red flag is what women say when they have a period. You have probably experienced being irritable, having menstrual cramps and getting some bruises during this time. This is a monthly cycle for women.
Menstrual cycle is a woman’s biological cycle, when she reached the fertility of the egg or menarche until menopausal stage where it ends. But do you know that this stage is a high risk for infection to women? Sexually transmitted diseases can highly infect a woman’s uterus and pelvic cavity, that may lead to more serious illnesses or worst impotency.
Here are some proper hygiene you should practice during your menstrual period:
1. Wash regularly
There are some folklore that say that a woman in her period should not take a bath or get wet in the rain as they are going to be mentally crazy. But there’s no basis for this.
Medical experts advise to regularly wash or take a bath once a day when you have your period. Since the body temperature during this cycle is rather hot and in order to keep the body clean and to avoid odor. Also don’t forget to wash your hands before and after you go to the bathroom to change pad or tampons and when washing your vagina.
2. Right way of washing
The vagina is a sensitive part of a woman’s body. So it requires careful washing and cleaning. When washing your vagina, be sure to wash it externally and do not use normal soap, shampoo, or douches that might affect the pH level or the natural acidity of the vagina. A special formulated wash should be use or if you don’t have any, you may use warm water to clean your vagina.
3. Wear the right cloth
Some may say they can wear anything but not white cloth. Well as much as possible it is safe not to wear white when you have your period to avoid unnecessary stain. But the most important thing to consider is not to wear tight clothing or fabrics that may cause more moisture, heat and irritation to your skin, especially if you use pads.
Try to wear cotton underwears and a loose fitting clothes to let air pass through to maintain freshness and dryness.
4. Change your pad or tampons
It is advisable to change your pads and tampons during your menstrual period. According to experts, infections or toxic shock syndrome (TSS) due to prolonged exposure to the waste blood and damp sanitary pads or tampons may happen by not changing pads regularly.
5. Choose the right tampon
When using tampons you should choose one with the right absorbency. Studies show that a better choice is to use the one with the lowest absorbency.
6. Wiping Correctly
According to doctors when you wipe your intimate area be sure to wipe it from front to back not the other way around. This is to avoid exposing your vagina to harmful anal bacteria that might lead to infections of the urinary tract and yeast infections. Added to that it is more advisable to wipe your vagina and anal separately.
7. Period Cramps
Most of you may have experienced dysmenorrhea before or during the first stage of menstrual cycle. Some women take medicine which are available over-the-counter drugstores. But there are other ways wherein women can avoid menstrual pain by doing some exercise or yoga that helps to release endorphin.
There are three easy yoga pose that you can use:
– Child’s Pose which is good for your lower back pain and it is easy to do, just like bowing in a sitting position.
– Bow Pose which stretches the front of your body good and is good in easing cramps and bloating. This includes lying in your stomach facing the floor, then bending upward while both hands are holding each foot.
– Camel Pose where you stretch both abdominal muscles and your hip flexors that can relieve pain and discomfort. This is like kneeling and with your one arm reaching backward and the other holding in your heels.
If you encounter any problems during your menstrual cycle be sure to consult your doctor.
