How to Maintain Good Sanitary Hygiene During Menstrual periods.
How
to Maintain Good Sanitary Hygiene During menstrual periods-When a girl has a
period for the first time, it is a distinct step into womanhood. Here are some
tips to help you stay clean and hygienic during your periods.
Most
of us go through our periods very secretively and don’t really bother to figure
out if our practices are hygienic or not. At times, we may wear the same napkin
for a whole day. Women is villages and smaller towns still use reusable
unhygienic cloth during their periods. And since periods are considered
unclean, they are not even allowed to use detergent for washing the soiled
cloth well in some households.
Some tips on How to
maintain good sanitary hygiene during
your periods.
1. Discard your used sanitary product
properly
It
is essential to discard your used napkins or tampons properly because they are
capable of spreading infections, will smell very foul. Wrapping it well before
discarding it ensures that the smell and infection is contained. It is advised
not to flush the pad or tampon down the toilet since they are capable of
forming a block and can cause the toilet to back up. More importantly it is
imperative that you wash your hands well after you discard your used napkin
since you are likely to touch the used portion of the pad or tampon while
discarding it.
2.
Choose your method of sanitation
Today
there are a number of ways including the use of sanitary napkins, tampons and
menstrual cups to stay clean. In India, most unmarried girls prefer to use
sanitary napkins. If you do decide to use a tampon remember that it is
essential to choose one that has the lowest absorbency rate for your flow.
While there are some women who choose to use either different types of sanitary
napkins on different days of their periods or different methods of protection
(like a tampon and a sanitary napkin), there are some who prefer to stick to
one type and brand. The best tip here is to try and use one brand for one type
of protection for a while to know if it helps your needs. Frequent switching
between brands can make you uncomfortable since brands are as unique as you,
they suit everyone differently.
3.
Use only one method of sanitation at a time
Some
women who have heavy flow during their periods tend to use either (i) two
sanitary pads, (ii) a tampon and sanitary pad (iii) a sanitary pad along with a
piece of cloth. This might seem like a good idea, but it actually is not,
changing regularly is a better option. Using two pads or a tampon and a
sanitary pad is bad because the two pads absorb the blood and you don’t see
that they are completely used up you are unlikely to change at regular and
healthy intervals. This can lead to rashes, infections and in the case of
tampons even TSS. Another consideration is that if one does use a piece of
cloth as extra protection that cloth may not be the cleanest thing to put next
to your private parts. Lastly, the whole
two pad structure is extremely uncomfortable and can leave you with a bad rash
and an even worse temper.
4. Change regularly
Menstrual
blood – once it has left the body – gets contaminated with the body’s innate
organisms. This rule applies for even those days when you don’t have much
bleeding, since your pad is still damp and will have organisms from your
vagina, sweat from your genitals, etc. When these organisms remain in a warm
and moist place for a long time they tend to multiply and can lead to
conditions like urinary tract infection, vaginal infections and skin rashes.
The
standard time to change a sanitary pad is once every six hours, while for a
tampon is once every two hours. That being said, you have to customize the
changing schedule to your needs. While some women might have a heavy flow and
would need to change more often, others will need to change less frequently.
There are a few instances where your sanitary napkin or tampon might not be
completely used – usually on days when you have a lesser flow – but you must
change at regular intervals.
In
the case of tampons it is very important because, if left inserted into the
vagina for long periods of time it can cause a condition called TSS or toxic
shock syndrome – a condition where bacteria infiltrate the body leading to
severe infection that can send to the body into shock – that requires emergent
treatment and can lead to serious complications and even death.
5. Wash yourself regularly
When
you menstruate, the blood tends to enter tiny spaces like the skin between your
labia or crust around the opening of the vagina and you should always wash this
excess blood away. This practice also tends to beat bad odour from the vaginal
region. So, it is important to wash your vagina and labia (the projecting part
of female genitals) well before you change into a new pad. If you cannot wash
yourself before you change make sure to wipe off the areas using toilet paper
or tissue.
6.
Don’t use soaps or vaginal hygiene products
The
vagina has its own cleaning mechanism that works in a very fine balance of good
and bad bacteria. Washing it with soap can kill the good bacteria making way
for infections. So, while it is important to wash yourself regularly during
this time, all you need to use is some warm water. You can use soap on the
external parts but do not use it inside your vagina or vulva.
7. Use the right washing technique
Always
wash or clean the area in a motion that is from the vagina to the anus. Never
wash in the opposite direction. Washing in the opposite direction can cause
bacteria from the anus to lodge in the vagina and urethral opening, leading to
infections. Read about urinary tract infections.
8.
Beware of a pad rash
A
pad rash is something that you might experience during a period of heavy flow.
It usually occurs when the pad has been wet for a long time and rubs along the
thighs causing it to chaff. To prevent this from occurring, try to stay dry
during your periods. If you do have a rash, change your pads regularly and stay
dry. Apply an antiseptic ointment, after a bath and before bed – this will heal
the rash and prevent further chaffing. If it gets worse do visit your doctor
who will be able to prescribe you a medicated powder that can keep the area
dry.
9.
Have a bath regularly
To
some it may seem like the most inane advice, but in some cultures it is
believed that a woman should not bathe during her periods. This myth was based
on the fact that in the olden days women had to bathe in the open or in common
water bodies like a river or lake. But with indoor plumbing having a bath is
the best thing you can do for your body during your periods. Bathing not only
cleanses your body but also gives you a chance to clean your private parts
well. It also helps relieve menstrual cramps, backaches, helps improve your
mood and makes you feel less bloated. To get some relief from backaches and
menstrual cramps, just stand under a shower of warm water that is targeted
towards your back or abdomen. You will feel much better at the end of it.
10.
Be ready with on-the-go stuff during your periods
When
you have your periods it is important to be ready. It is important to have
extra sanitary pads or tampons properly stored in a clean pouch or paper bag, a
soft towel, some paper tissues or towels, hand sanitizer, a healthy snack,
bottle of drinking water, a tube of antiseptic medication (if you are using
one).
Changing
your pads/ tampons regularly is essential, so you will need extra. More
importantly storing them properly so that they don’t get contaminated is as
important as changing. Pads or tampons that remain in your bag without a clean
pouch to protect it can also lead to infections like UTI (urinary tract
infection) or vaginal infections. The soft towel can be used to wipe your hands
or face if you wash them. Paper towels are the important to wipe off the excess
water after you wash your private parts. It is best you don’t use toilet paper
for this as it tends to shred and tear when it touches water. Your hand
sanitizer is a very important factor here. You will need it to clean your hands
and you can use it to clean the flush knob and tap faucet as well. The snack is
a backup in case you feel weak or run down during the day and the bottle of
water is to help you stay hydrated throughout the day.
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