4 tips to take care of your intimate health |Woman today

It may, by custom and without realizing it, use in your daily shower the same soap for the whole body, intimate area included.However, the skin of the vagina needs special treatment because it is colonized by an entire ecosystem of good bacteria that creates a barrier of protection against infections.To bloom properly and fulfill its mission, that natural flora needs a certain pH, but normal soaps are too aggressive and can alter bacterial balance, which can cause discomfort, irritations, itching and infections (urine and candidiasisvaginal are two of the most common).What is there to do then?

Correct hygiene is essential, but it will be enough to simply use water, without sponges or mittens.If you prefer to use some type of gel, choose one specially formulated for that part of the body.But be careful: "The excess of zeal in intimate hygiene, as can be washed too frequent, are harmful since they can destroy the normal vaginal flora of women, which serves to avoid infections," warns Dr. Juan José Vidal Peláez, Chiefof the Women's Unit of the Ruber International Hospital.As part of that zeal in hygiene, the habit of using Protecteslip to daily, by routine, to protect the underwear of small losses or vaginal flow, has spread.However, its use harms perspiration, alters the pH and favors the appearance of fungi and bacteria.It is best to limit its use to the necessary days, wear cotton underwear and consult with the specialist if there are urine losses.

* A plus.“In summer, vaginal infections are more frequent, especially for pools.That is why it is advisable to put a dry swimsuit after leaving the water, since the humidity favors the proliferation of the germs responsible for the infections, mainly fungi, ”recommends Dr. Juan José Vidal.

During an orgasm there are 10 to 15 contractions of the pelvic soil muscles per second.So, the more orgasms we have better tone will acquire;which, in turn, will make orgasms more intense.In addition, sexual excitement increases blood irrigation in that area, nourishing and swelling the walls of the vagina.All that, as assured by Dr. Manuel Albi, head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the Hospital La Luz, means that “women who maintain an active sex life have less problems related to atrophy”, which is what is called thethinning and dryness of the vaginal mucous membranes that occur with the decrease in estrogen in menopause.

* A plus.Only 25% of women with vaginal atrophy consult a specialist.And yet, there is treatment for this problem: from the use of moisturizing and lubricant gels, laser treatment or hyaluronic acid injection that are minimally invasive techniques.Another idea is, for example, to put into practice some of the Kamasutra positions that tone the pelvic floor muscles: the hammock, the Amazon, the subjected ...

We go to the gym to have firm buttocks and some toned triceps and ask for an appointment with the physiotherapist when the lumbar complain. But there are other muscles to which, in general, we do not pay much attention, such as the pelvic floor, the set of muscle and fascial structures that close the pelvis (both in women and in men, by the way). "Its function is to cushion the impacts we make when walking, running, jumping, accompanies us in all our movements and also serves for sphincter continence, both urinary and rectal, and holds the pelvic viscera, avoiding their descent or prolapse," he explains Lydia Serra, director of the Institute of Pelvic Integral Physiotherapy. These muscles also have a leading role in sexual life. “If they weaken, it becomes difficult or, sometimes, impossible to reach orgasm; But if, on the contrary, these muscles are contracted, which is not unusual, pain appears during sexual intercourse, sometimes of such intensity that penetration or orgasm is impossible. ” For all this, we are interested, and much, keep the pelvic floor in shape and for that is physiotherapy, which is the discipline that treats any muscle dysfunction of the body, including those in this area. When should I make an appointment with a pelvic floor specialist? In pregnancy and after childbirth, after pelvic surgery, when the first droplets of urine escape, reaching menopause (the fall of estrogens aggravates muscle laxity), if there are discomfort in sexual intercourse or difficulty to reach orgasm , and if among our routines there are high -impact sports activities such as lifting weight, running, jumping (tennis, aerobic ...).

* A plus.Exercising those "forgotten" muscles may not be a simple task.And for that is the biofeedback, a tool that the physiotherapist uses to recognize whether we are contracting or relaxing the muscles through sensors that record the movements and translate them into a visible graphic in a monitor.It helps us, therefore, to become aware of these muscles and do the training exercises correctly, with the patterns of the physiotherapist first, and independently later.We can even train at home with gadgets such as Elvie Trainer, an application with a Kegel exerciser with visual biofEedback, which guides and monitors pelvic floor training from the phone.

Also known as Geisha balls, they have been used for centuries and are not a sex toy (they do not provide pleasure), but their function is to keep vaginal muscles. They work as follows: the Chinese balls carry another smaller ball that, when moving (we must always use them in motion, while we walk, we do the home tasks or Kegel's exercises, for example) it clashes against the outer walls and It produces a vibration that causes an involuntary contraction of the muscles of the vagina, causing them to work and increase blood circulation, muscle tone and lubrication. They can, therefore, be very useful, but their use is not indicated for everyone, because there are cases in which instead of strengthening the pelvic floor, they could injure it. “Any of the techniques available for the reeducation of pelvic soil can be harmful if they are not indicated by a specialist physiotherapist. A device such as those mentioned, if used without a previous physical examination, can worsen an existing pathology. Therefore, general use recommendations cannot be made, but must always be individualized, ”says specialist Lydia Serra, director of the Institute of Pelvic Integral Physiotherapy.

* A plus.Eye, contrary to what you have read online, Chinese balls (which you should acquire in the pharmacy) are not the same as jade or quartz eggs.While some work by vibration and contraction, the others are weights that force to voluntarily contract the muscles to keep them inside.Eggs are not recommended because the effective exercise to strengthen the musculature is to tighten and relax the muscles, not to keep them always contracted, which could cause the opposite effect and damage them.In addition, being of a porous material can cause infections.