Keep your Kitty Healthy and Happy!-Vaginal Health Tips for Everyday Women

When you talk about taking good care of your body, you don't always think about your vagina. But you should — because if you're good to your lady bits, they'll be good to you. Practicing good vaginal health means fewer yeast infections and UTIs and, ultimately, better sex. So, here are a few expert tips on keeping everything healthy and happy down there. Experts don't recommend douching because it can disturb the pH balance in your vagina. You should only be washing with mild, unscented soap on the outside and just water on the inside. If you're sensitive or easily irritated down there, you may want to forgo soap entirely and try a gentle, pH-balanced product like HappyKittyTreats Feminine Wash. This wash is specially designed with Plant-based ingredients to gently clean the vulva region; while helping the vagina to maintain a balanced pH.

• Eat a Vagina-friendly Diet. Like your gut, your vagina relies on healthy bacteria to ward off bacteria that cause  infections. Probiotic foods like yogurt and cheese and prebiotic foods like raw onions and leeks are important for maintaining these good bacteria. Prone to UTIs? Cranberry pills can help combat them by stopping bacteria from attaching to the bladder and urethra.

• Go for Whole Body Health. Eat right, control your weight and exercise. Not only is this good for your whole body; it’s good for your sexual organs too. Conversely, chronic conditions can put women at risk. For example, poorly controlled diabetes increases a woman’s likelihood of contracting yeast infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

• Get Regular Screenings. Stay current with health screenings, and see your gynecologist for routine care. Remember that screening intervals for pap smears change based upon your age and Pap smear findings. For young women, HPV vaccination is especially important for reducing cervical cancer risk.

• Always Wipe From Front to Back. As you can imagine, you do not want to bring what's lurking in the back over to the front. This can introduce E. coli and other bacteria from the GI tract into the vagina. "You've heard it before, and it sounds simple, but it really is important."

• Select your Underwear Wisely. Cotton underwear is the best kind for your vagina because it's most breathable. For the same reason, you're better off not wearing any underwear at all when you sleep. And avoid thongs, Lindley advises. They can bring bacteria to the urethra, which can lead to UTIs.

• Stretch your Inner Thighs. Believe it or not, your vagina will thank you for exercising other parts of your body. Tight inner thigh muscles can lead to tension and pain in the vagina, explains Hecht. You can stretch out your inner thighs be extending one leg outward, place it on the seat of a chair. Then bend from your hip toward your leg until you feel a pull in the groin and inner thigh area.

• Use condoms. It’s so important to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Insist on using condoms with any new sexual partner.

• Never ignore Post-Menopausal Bleeding. If you ever experience bleeding after menopause, see your doctor for an evaluation.

• Prolapse and Incontinence are usually not dangerous. These conditions only need treatment if they bother you; no need to treat them just because the gynecologist noted them during an exam.  However, if you have trouble emptying your bladder or bowels or have pain or bleeding, it’s time to seek care.

• Vaginal Estrogen is Safe for Most Women. Vaginal estrogen can help prevent or reverse changes that occur with age, such as painful sex (due to thinning vaginal walls and less elasticity) and increased risk for UTIs (due to pH changes as the vagina becomes less acidic).