Top 14 Common Causes Of Vaginal Odor That You Should Be Aware Of

common causes of vaginal odor

Vaginal odor can be the main reason for limiting sexual activity in your relationship. While the woman feels uncomfortable, the man gets a little distant. Nevertheless, the vagina has a smell that isn’t a problem. Each woman has a particular smell in the vagina; it is completely natural. Even when you feel that its smell is quite different than normal, it isn’t necessarily an infection. This change can be a specific moment of the menstrual period because your vaginal smell can vary as per the time of your cycle. However, understanding the root causes of vaginal odor helps you to prevent some vaginal problems and protect your vaginal health. Therefore, don’t skip this article on VKool.com to discover the causes.

Top 14 Common Causes Of Vaginal Odor That You Should Be Aware Of

1. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Poor Hygiene

Poor hygiene may be one of the common causes of vaginal odor in some certain women. The vagina is considered a warm & moist area that is a common site for the overgrowth of the pathogen. Cleansing the outside area of your vagina with soap or only water may limit the symptoms of your bad vaginal odor in some certain women. Women who have any question regarding the healthy hygiene practices ought to contact a medical professional.

Learn more: How to tighten vagina naturally at home

2. Allergy To Condoms

As you may know, some women may be allergic to several certain materials in the condoms, which may throw off the vaginal bacteria and then cause bad odor. For this cause, you should switch to the different types of condom for a few weeks to see if the unpleasant smell improves. This may take some trials and error.

3. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Trichomoniasis

Women who suffer from trichomoniasis, known as a sexually transmitted disease, may experience some symptoms of vaginal odor, itching, and discharge due to this infection [1]. The condition results from the Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasite present in the vagina. If you suffer from trichomoniasis, you may experience vaginal irritation or itching and experience abnormal vaginal discharge that has a yellowish color and a strong, bad odor. Other symptoms of this condition are the pain in the lower abdomen or discomfort during sexual intercourse or urination. You may take antibiotic medication to resolve these symptoms.

4. Excessive Vaginal Douching

In fact, douching may be the reason for messing with the normal pH levels of your vagina and can cause a huge amount of bacteria to grow. Although there are both good and bad bacteria there, the bad bacteria may cause a foul smell. Moreover, the chemicals found in several formulae used for rinsing the vagina may cause infection and irritation, which may result in developing a foul smell.

See more: Signs of unhealthy vagina

5. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Bacterial Vaginosis

causes of vaginal odor - bacterial vaginosis

In fact, there are a lot of healthy bacteria that aid in maintaining the balanced acidic environment in your vagina. If this level of a protective bacterium, also called lactobacilli, reduces abnormally in your vagina, you may suffer from a vaginal infection known as bacterial vaginosis. The symptoms of this infection are vaginal itching and a fishy, bad odor, which is exacerbated by your menstrual period or having sex. According to a study, bacterial vaginosis may cause a strong vaginal discharge and bad odor in 50% of sufferers [2]. For the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, you may use antibiotics that are administered orally or vaginally.

See more: Bacterial vaginosis freedom review

6. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Hormonal Changes

As you may know, vaginal secretions between ovulation and the next period or during menstruation can have a fouler odor than these during other parts of your period. Another hormonal cause is certainly menopause, during which the estrogen levels are reduced, cause vaginal tissue to be thinner and get less acidic. A lot of women undergoing menopause experience a smelly, watery discharge. In case, the smell makes you distress, you may use the topical estrogen, which often removes the odor in several weeks. Because estrogen vaginal cream can be absorbed to a quite small extent into your bloodstream, it should be used after talking the pros & cons with a physician.

Learn more: Natural home remedies for bacterial vaginosis

7. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – A Yeast Infection

In fact, a vaginal yeast infection, one of the most common sexual conditions, is caused due to the abnormal overgrowth of the Candida albicans, known as a naturally occurring fungus which resides in your vagina, digestive tract, and mouth. The symptoms of this infection are severe vaginal itching as well as a foul & yeasty odor. In addition, women suffering from this infection typically experience abnormal vaginal discharge that may be thick, white, and cottage cheese-like [3]. Some of other symptoms of the vaginal yeast infection include swelling of your vulva or pain during having sex. This infection is often treated with administrating the antifungal vaginal creams and suppositories.

View more: Natural home remedies for yeast infection during pregnancy

8. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Sexual Intercourse

The genitalia of women possess an acidic pH level and the seminal fluid of men is alkaline. Therefore, its interaction during having sex can result in bad odor.

See more: How to treat vaginal itching naturally at home

9. Cervical Cancer

A bad vaginal odor can result from the cancerous cells present in the cervix. In fact, the unusual, watery discharge that has a foul odor may be one of the signs of cervical cancer in some certain women [4]. Women suffering from a bad vaginal odor apart from the pelvic pain and irregular vaginal bleeding ought to seek medical care at once.

Learn more: Natural home remedies for vaginal discharge

10. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Sweat

causes of vaginal odor - sweat

As you know, a sweaty groin is known as a smelly one because the external genitals possess a special type of gland called the apocrine sweat glands (found in the nipples, ear canals, armpits, wings of your nostrils, and eyelids). Those glands are responsible for secreting an oily fluid that is metabolized by the bacteria on the skin. This will leave a noticeable smell. The more sweat you have in this region, the worse the odor will be.

In case, you often wear tight underwear or clothing, trapped sweat in the groin can be causing the foul odor. In addition, overweight women experience this problem because the skin folds will trap sweat and result in unpleasant smells.

11. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Vaginitis

Vaginitis is known as a broad term for the inflammation of the vagina. This condition may result from trauma, an infection, or an allergic reaction. It should always be a big concern if it happens in young children because it may be linked to sexual abuse. Often, with the inflammation related to vaginitis, there are other symptoms or signs of inflammation, such as swelling and pain. Using the vaginal douches is the most common reason for vaginitis while they also affect the normal pH levels and moisture of your vagina, which often causes vaginal infections. All these factors contribute to a foul odor in the vagina.

12. Causes Of Vaginal Odor – Foods

The foods you eat can affect vaginal odor because it may affect other parts of the body, such as the armpits, mouth, feet, and scalp. Some studies show that foods having strong scents such as chilies, pepper, blue cheese, garlic, onion, cabbage, broccoli, and fish tend to cause the most impact. Meanwhile, eating the foods may also help a patient with the vaginal odor to smell better. They are pineapple, parsley, kiwi, mango, green tea, blueberry, strawberry, cucumber, and other food with prebiotics such as kimchi & miso soup. In case, you suspect that a food may be the culprit, you should skip eating it and see the results.

Learn more: Good foods for vaginal health

13. A Forgotten Tampon

The accumulation of menstrual blood & bacteria may result in itching, irritation, and an unpleasant-smelling discharge. This will also cause swelling of your vaginal wall, with excessive moisture, usually watery and thin. The foul vaginal odor in one allergic reaction isn’t often a foul smell, but you may notice a different smell to your regular discharge. In case, you think that you have forgotten to eliminate a tampon, visit a gynecologist who may safely remove it and then give you the treatments for any possible infection.

14. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

A pelvic inflammatory disease results from bacteria, and it is often transmitted through having sex. The bacteria tend to travel through your vagina and into your uterus.

The pelvic inflammatory disease is usually the last-stage result of a sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Most females do not realize that they suffer from this disease until they have difficulty in getting pregnant or start experiencing chronic pain. When the symptoms are present, they often notice fishy odors, fatigue, pelvic pain, painful sex or urination, heavy discharge, and fever.

Above are the common causes of vaginal odor that you should be aware of. Hope that it helps you to know the root reasons to protect your vaginal health. For another useful article about sex and relationships, visit our Love & Sex page. Feel free to leave your comments to share your thoughts with us.

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