Is it possible to douche with buckthorn. How dangerous is douching. Precautions for douching with iodine

Douching is widespread as part of home treatment, as a kind of "folk treatment". However, solutions for douching are also offered by the pharmaceutical industry, in addition, some gynecologists prescribe this procedure in combination with others. It should be noted that today vaginal douching is absolutely not advisable, and if someone has experienced the benefits of this method firsthand, then it makes sense to note that a positive result in each case is more likely achieved through other methods of treatment, because douching never prescribed as an independent treatment procedure.

For douche followers, another question may arise: why does a douching woman not suffer from the disadvantages of this method of treatment? The answer is simple: because women tend to attribute the side effects of douching to the natural course of the disease. The douching procedure has gained popular popularity due to its absolute understandability - if a woman feels itching and irritation in the vagina, observes leucorrhoea or an unpleasant odor, and perhaps she uses vaginal suppositories as prescribed by the doctor, after which marks remain on the linen, there is a natural desire to clean, rinse the vagina , which happens as a result of douching.

Douching after the use of vaginal suppositories can only be prescribed by a doctor of the past generation. Such douching was incredibly popular, for example, during the Soviet Union. It is this procedure that mothers and grandmothers who were treated in Soviet health resorts can advise their daughters. To challenge the experience of doctors of that generation is unreasonable and disrespectful. Each era has its own ideas about effective medicine. Progress does not stand still. Today, douching in the treatment of chronic inflammatory processes in the vagina, and even more so in the treatment of erosion, dysplasia or fibroids, is categorically contraindicated. These conclusions were reached by scientists who conducted clinical observations and studies, the purpose of which was to assess the actual impact of douching on women's health.

As a result of such studies, it was found that douching is more harmful to the female body than useful:

• douching washes away not only the results of the vital activity of harmful microorganisms, but also the natural lubrication in the vagina;
• douching violates the natural pH balance, acidity in the vagina;
• as a result of douching, the activity of beneficial lactobacilli in the vagina is disrupted and conditions favorable for the development of an infectious disease are created;
• violation of the natural barrier on the path of pathogenic microorganisms contributes to their further penetration through the cervical canal into the fallopian tubes, into the uterine cavity and into the ovaries;
• douching contributes to the development of bacterial vaginosis and thrush - the cause of these diseases is a violation of the vaginal microflora, which leads to regular douching;
• douching increases the risk of infection and inflammation of the female reproductive system.

If a woman is healthy (not prone to allergies, does not take oral contraceptives or antibiotics uncontrollably, no infections or sexually transmitted diseases are observed) and is regularly observed by a gynecologist, it makes no sense to douche, including in order to prevent conception. The female body can independently cope with the cleansing of the minimum available number of pathogenic microbes. Douching (lemon juice, vinegar or mineral water) as a way to protect against unwanted pregnancy has no scientific explanation; this method, along with the method of coitus interruptus, according to modern gynecologists, should long become a relic of the past.

The results of clinical studies come down to the fact that douching is absolutely unnatural, cleansing the vagina in this way disrupts the natural processes in the female body. In those cases where douching was previously prescribed (treatment of certain gynecological diseases, swimming in water bodies or visiting pools, etc.), today it is advisable to use vaginal suppositories with the function of normalizing the natural microflora in the vagina. Vagical vaginal suppositories have an effect similar to douching. They contain calendula extract and, accordingly, have a bactericidal and microflora-normalizing effect, but unlike douching, they do not contribute to acidity disturbance and leaching of beneficial lactobacilli from female organs.

Whether or not to go into the douching procedure is the personal choice of each woman, she has the right to discuss it with her doctor. However, it makes sense to recall that douching is categorically contraindicated:

douching

Douching - washing the vagina with water, medicinal solution or herbal infusion. Produced using Esmarch's mug or medical enema.

Indications and contraindications for douching procedure

Douching can be done only as directed by a doctor. This is not a hygienic procedure, contrary to persistent misconceptions. Self-medication with douching is dangerous for the health and life of a woman. Many women independently prescribe douching for fungal diseases, for example, candidiasis. However, it is impossible to cure thrush with douching. If itching, cheesy discharge occurs, you need to contact a gynecologist and pass a crop on the flora. The doctor will diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Douching is prescribed for chronic inflammatory diseases, for example, perimetritis, salpingo-oophoritis, colpitis. The procedure is carried out 1-2 times a day according to the doctor's recommendations.

Douching is acceptable as an emergency measure, for example, if a condom breaks during intercourse and sperm enters the vagina or after intercourse with a partner who has a sexually transmitted disease. However, the effectiveness of the procedure in such cases is low, it is no more than 20%. Spermatozoa cannot be washed out by douching, and the mucosa is too susceptible to infection. For douching after unprotected sex, you can use chlorhexidine, but you need to do it immediately, within an hour. After 1-2 hours, the procedure must be repeated. In no case should you abuse this method, because you can cause serious harm to health. In acute inflammatory diseases, douching is prohibited. Also, you can not carry out the procedure during menstruation and pregnancy, with bleeding.

Douche Tools

For douching for medical reasons, it is recommended to use an Esmarch mug with a rubber tube and a straight or curved vaginal tip. Rubber vaginal tips cannot be sterilized, so it is better to use them once. Glass tips can be sterilized by boiling. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the douching tool and rinse Esmarch's mug with clean water before use.

Preparation of solution for douching

For douching, a solution of medicines or herbal decoction is used. Herbal decoction must be insisted after brewing and carefully filtered. Douching powder is pre-dissolved in a small amount of liquid, thoroughly mixed and filtered, then mixed with water and poured into Esmarch's mug. If a liquid solution is used for douching, then it must also be thoroughly mixed with water. Water before mixing with powder or solution must be boiled and cooled to the desired temperature.

Vaginal douching is done with a warm or hot solution (up to 48 °). Hot douching is recommended to be done slowly, to introduce liquid little by little over minutes.

The order of the procedure

Douching in medical institutions is carried out on a gynecological chair or couch. At home, it is permissible to douche in the bathroom. Douching is carried out in a prone position, the woman's legs should be bent at the knees and spread apart. Douching in a squatting position is ineffective, since the liquid does not fill the cavity, but pours out. A medical vessel is placed under the buttocks of a woman. On the gynecological chair, you can use an oilcloth lowered into the vessel or a suitable container. When prescribing hot douches, it is recommended to lubricate the perineum with a greasy baby cream or petroleum jelly.

Air should not enter the vagina, so it must first be released by draining a small amount of fluid into the vessel. Mohr's clamp is used to control the flow of air into the tube. Esmarch's mug should be hung 0.5-1 m above the woman's vagina. The vaginal tip is inserted 5-7 cm, after which the Mohr clamp is removed. After the douching procedure, it is advisable not to get up immediately, but lie down for a minute.

Why you can not douching to cleanse the vagina

The vagina does not need artificial cleansing. Carrying out such a procedure is dangerous to health, as it is harmful. When douching, the natural microflora is disturbed, the acidity of the environment changes. The vagina is self-cleansing with the release of a viscous secretion, which is naturally excreted.

Why douching is dangerous

• douching can damage the mucous membrane and injure internal organs;
• recent studies have shown that douching increases the risk of developing vaginitis, endometriosis, salpingitis and other diseases;
• when the natural mucous plug from the cervix, which performs a protective function, is washed out, the risk of infection entering the uterine cavity, for example, E. coli, increases.

Douching for conception

Douching with soda to increase the likelihood of conception is not justified in any way and even theoretically cannot give the expected effect. Such a procedure can only interfere with conception, but will not improve the microflora in any way. This is one of the many prejudices actively propagated on the Internet.

All about douching: is it possible to do it, how to douche correctly

In clinical gynecology, there is still no consensus on the benefits, harms and expediency of such a procedure as douching. Many practicing gynecologists are categorically against it, considering it harmful to the woman's body. Another part of the specialists allows the appointment of this procedure for special indications as an integral part of the treatment regimen for certain diseases.

The expediency of douching as a hygiene procedure

Experts do not recommend using vaginal douching as a hygiene procedure for cleansing natural secretions. All physiological processes and the secretion of fluids are necessary for the normal functioning of the reproductive system. It is impossible to intervene in forced ways, trying to get rid of the natural smell or secretions. Such a procedure is not only harmful to women's health, but can also be extremely dangerous.

The competent device of our body provides for the process of self-purification, which is quite enough. Mucus and secretion are excreted on their own when the body needs to replace them. To maintain normal hygiene, daily washing with the use of detergents is sufficient, no more than 2 times a week.

The douching method can only be used for medicinal purposes or as a prevention of STDs after casual sex. In other cases, if there are no alarming symptoms, for example, a foul odor, green discharge, itching and burning in the vagina, douching is not recommended.

But even the appearance of unpleasant symptoms should be the reason for visiting the gynecologist, and not for immediate douching. Since it is necessary to first establish the cause, choose the right means of therapy, and only then proceed to the treatment procedures.

Douching and rules of execution

Douching is a procedure in which an aqueous or medicinal solution is injected under pressure into the vaginal cavity using a pharmacy pear, rubber douche or Esmarch's mug. Unfortunately, not all women know how to douche, and often a regular syringe without a needle for 20 cubes is used to administer the medicine. However, there are strict rules for performing this procedure, making it as safe and effective as possible.

Basic principles of douching

Liquid temperature. The solution that is drawn into the syringe must be at a comfortable temperature. The introduction of neither cold nor hot solution is allowed. Neither water nor medicinal liquids should cause discomfort when administered.

Course duration. Douching can be performed no more than 5 days in a row for medicinal purposes, and in no case should this procedure be done constantly. The problem is that after douching, part of the important microflora is washed out, and daily procedures forcibly exfoliate glycogen-rich epithelial cells, which can lead to vaginal dysbacteriosis.

Duration and frequency of the procedure. At the same time, no more than 3 injections of the solution can be carried out, which takes about 10 minutes in time. The frequency of douching is always negotiated by the doctor separately. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to perform the manipulation once a day. And to obtain a therapeutic effect, at the beginning of the course, two procedures are performed a day, then they switch to a single administration of drugs.

Pressure level. When introducing fluid into the vagina, in no case should strong pressure be applied. Water entering with great force can flow outside the cervix and uterus, which increases the risk of tissue inflammation. Therefore, gynecologists recommend taking not a medical pear or syringe for douching, but using Esmarch's mug. Only in the Esmarch system is it possible to regulate the pressure level and inject the solution without the risk of harm. While using a pear or syringe, it is very difficult to regulate the pressure.

Special fixtures. Douching at home should be carried out only with specially designed devices. In no case should you use a pear that was given an enema. And it is not recommended to introduce solutions with a syringe. Medical pears, as well as Esmarch's systems, are commercially available in all pharmacies, and their cost is available to everyone.

Posture during insertion. It is most convenient to carry out a similar procedure in the bathroom or in the restroom. In the bathroom, you need to lie on your back, placing your feet on its edges. Keep Esmarch's mug at the level of the sides of the bathroom. Under such conditions, the solution will gradually enter the vaginal cavity and easily flow out from there without causing harm. In the restroom, you need to sit comfortably on the toilet, insert the tip into the vagina, and hold the mug a little above the waist. Such techniques will avoid leakage of the solution into the cervix and uterine cavity.

Warning. Douching should not cause any discomfort and, moreover, pain. The tip is inserted slowly and very carefully, so as not to injure the vaginal mucosa. The supply of fluid must also be carried out with great care, and if unpleasant sensations appear, the introduction should be stopped immediately. Forcible deep insertion of the tip can injure not only the walls of the vagina, but also the bladder.

Features of the preparation of solutions. Medicinal solutions for douching are prepared in strict accordance with accepted concentration standards. Dry substances are diluted in advance in a separate bowl, filtered, and only after that they are collected in a syringe or poured into Esmarch's mug. This avoids the penetration of undissolved particles that can damage the mucosa. Douching with soda, potassium permanganate, boric acid or hydrogen peroxide should be carried out only with diluted solutions.

The use of herbal medicines for the procedure requires the use of only freshly prepared decoctions. It is not allowed to use yesterday's solution. Douching with chamomile, celandine, calendula, succession and other plants must be carried out, taking into account all precautions. Plants must be harvested in accordance with all the rules that preserve their medicinal properties, or they must be bought ready-made only in trusted pharmacies from well-known manufacturers.

The danger of frequent douching

Any unnatural manipulation, be it an enema or douching, has a number of negative side effects that must always be remembered. So, when douching:

• The layer of protective lubricant is washed off, the level of normal pH changes, the balance of the vaginal flora is disturbed, leading to the activity of pathogenic bacteria. In terms of the harm caused, such an action can only be compared with the uncontrolled illiterate use of antibiotics.
• Regular removal of the natural protective layer eventually leads to the frequent occurrence of allergic reactions.
• The constant use of a douche can eventually cause injury to the walls of the vagina, cervix, or bladder.

The International Association of Gynecologists, after conducting numerous studies, has established an irrefutable relationship between frequent douching and an increase in the number of diseases of the reproductive organs of an inflammatory nature.

Women who constantly use douching as a hygiene procedure are twice as likely to experience such pathologies as:

Contraindications for douching

There are a number of contraindications when the procedure is strictly prohibited, these are:

• Douching to force the removal of mucus.
• Independently choose the means for solutions, without the knowledge of the doctor. Incorrect selection of medicinal plants or medications can only lead to an aggravation of the situation and cause an allergic reaction or a hurricane in the development of the disease.
• It is forbidden to douche on the eve of a gynecological examination - this can distort the results of the tests and provoke additional discomfort during the examination.
• It is categorically impossible to perform this procedure during an exacerbation of inflammatory diseases such as endometritis, adnexitis, and other types of diseases (see suppositories for adnexitis, endometriosis).
• It is contraindicated to resort to this procedure on the days of menstruation, throughout the entire period of pregnancy, after an abortion (consequences) for a month.

Douching and pregnancy

The opinion of doctors, both gynecologists and obstetricians, is unanimous on this issue. All clinicians are categorically against douching throughout the entire period of pregnancy and within a month after childbirth. There are a number of good reasons for this:

• During pregnancy, the inner lining of the uterus is covered with new blood vessels that form with its growth. When douching, there is a high risk of air bubbles entering the newly formed vessel.
• Through the cervix, substances used for douching can penetrate the uterine cavity and cause irreparable harm to the fetus, disrupting the normal course of its development. In addition, the amniotic membrane may be damaged, which will create a risk of miscarriage.
• By the time the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, a mucous plug forms at the inlet of the cervix, which protects the contents of the uterus from negative effects. By flushing this plug during douching, a woman leaves an open passage for infectious agents. Diseases such as vaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis (see fish-smelling discharge), herdnerellosis, can cause serious harm to the fetus from spontaneous miscarriage to fetal death.

Douching as an STD Prevention or Contraceptive

Douching to prevent unwanted pregnancy is useless and irrational. After ejaculation, spermatozoa reach the uterine cavity in a matter of seconds, and no matter how hard a woman tries to get ahead of them, running away to the bathroom immediately after the act, she will not be able to get ahead of the spermatozoa. And the use of acidic solutions, such as vinegar, citric acid, mineral water, will only irritate the mucous membrane, but will not be able to get those spermatozoa that have already hidden in the uterus.

The meaning of such a procedure is justified only in the first hour after a dubious sexual intercourse with a preliminary thorough toilet of the external genitalia and inner thighs. It is advisable to repeat this procedure several times with a pause of one hour. At the same time, knowing that this does not give an exact guarantee, one should not calm down, and if any alarming signs appear, it is advisable to immediately undergo an examination. Most experts call high-quality condoms the most effective way to protect against infection. To date, no other tool provides a greater guarantee.

Douching for infectious diseases of the genital organs

The douching procedure is often included in the treatment regimen for various infections as a local effect on pathogens. But using douching as the only treatment method is ineffective and unsafe.

Most pathogens such as:

The erroneous opinion of many women who consider douching an excellent alternative to taking systemic antibiotics can eventually lead to the progress of the disease and the transition to a chronic form or a large spread throughout the body.

Topical drugs do a good job of preventing the recurrence of such diseases, their effectiveness reaches 70%. But, unfortunately, they cannot be used constantly without the risk of causing serious harm to the body.

uterine fibroids

Myoma is a hormone-dependent tumor. Its origin and development depends solely on the synthesis of certain hormones by the body. Therefore, the use of douching in no way can affect the course of the disease (see contraindications for uterine fibroids).

endometriosis

Pathology also refers to hormone-dependent problems. Therapeutic measures are aimed primarily at stabilizing the production of hormones. And douching treatment using medicinal plants or other natural recipes is absolutely useless. In addition, it may even be harmful, since the flow of fluid under pressure contributes to the expansion of the pathological endometrium and the formation of new lesions.

Douching for pregnancy

This dangerous misconception has no scientific justification. By forcibly injecting alkaline solutions, there is no way to increase the chances of getting pregnant. Only the natural environment of the vagina is the most favorable for the life and movement of spermatozoa. Therefore, douching for conception does not justify itself in any way, but only aggravates the situation, destroying the normal flora.

Douching during menstruation

During the flow of menstrual blood, douching is the most dangerous procedure. These days, the cervix opens slightly, allowing the free exit of the outdated epithelium. Therefore, by carrying out a similar procedure, which many ladies consider hygienic, they thereby only increase the risk of infection and the onset of an inflammatory process.

Answers to the main questions about vaginal douching in women: how safe is douching, can it be done, what can replace douching?

What danger can douching pose to a woman's health?

In particular, douching is known to:

Based on the above reasons, many competent gynecologists recommend their patients to completely abandon douching.

This article will not answer questions such as:

• How to do douching?
• How to do douching at home?
• What douching solutions can be used?
• How exactly to do douching with one or another solution, etc.

On the other hand, this article will show exactly what harm douching can do to a woman's health and how you can really effectively solve the problems that women are trying to solve with douching.

This article will be useful for women who are considering or are already doing douching and want to know how effective and safe it is.

What is douching and how are they performed?

Douching in women - involves the intentional introduction of fluid into the vagina.

Usually, a rubber pear (enema, douche, Esmarch's mug) is used to introduce fluid into the vagina, less often a syringe without a needle.

Why do many women constantly use douching if they have an adverse effect on health?

Douching is really extremely popular among women. Currently, on the Internet you can find a huge number of a wide variety of recipes, recommendations and reviews regarding the use of douches with a wide variety of composition to solve a wide variety of gynecological problems.

Unfortunately, as in the case of other folk methods of treatment, women prefer douching based only on the following arguments:

• Availability in economic terms - in order to douching, you do not need any serious investments; the main ingredients in most douche recipes are vinegar, baking soda, salt - that is, substances that are in every home.
• Ease of implementation - douching can be easily done at home; this procedure does not require a visit to a doctor or the participation of a doctor.
• Compliance with their idea of ​​the origin of diseases - in the view of many women, the cause of itching, vaginal discharge, thrush, genital infections and other gynecological problems is the "impurity" of the vagina. In this regard, douching seems to women to be a hygienic procedure for cleansing the vagina, as logical as, for example, washing, rinsing the mouth, washing hands.
• No side effects - in fact, as in the case of other folk methods, in the case of douching, all side effects from treatment are "written off" to the natural development of the disease. Due to the fact that no one ever guarantees that this or that folk method of treatment will be effective, people never get angry if a certain folk recipe does not help in their case. Instead, they begin to use another folk recipe, and after it a third, and so on. Tolerance for treatment failure recommended by mainstream medicine is generally much less.

When douching, women have no way of assessing the actual effectiveness and safety of these procedures. In order to do this, it is necessary, firstly, to compare the results of the use of douching in many women, and, secondly, to conduct an accurate assessment of the condition of all women under observation before and after the use of douching.

In contrast, the clinical observations and scientific studies on which this article is based are able to assess the actual impact of douching on a woman's health.

Many women use douching on the advice of their mothers, friends, or internet discussion forums, whose experience in dealing with gynecological problems they find valuable.

It should also be emphasized that the idea of ​​"the effectiveness of douching" has long been supported by doctors in the past (for example, douching according to Snegirev), and, unfortunately, in our time still has significant support from some doctors, popular television health programs and advertising. Some pharmaceutical companies even produce special preparations (for example, tantum rose, chlorophyllipt) designed for douching.

Below we will give answers to some questions that will show how douching really affects a woman's health and why these procedures should not be used.

Does douching help make the vagina cleaner?

No, it's not. The woman's vagina is self-cleaning and no action is required on the part of the woman to maintain its purity (physical and microbiological).

The effect of douching on vaginal microbiological purity (see Vaginal Cleanliness) is always the opposite of what is expected.

In particular, douching has a detrimental effect on the population of lactobacilli (the main representatives of the normal microflora of the vagina) and creates favorable conditions for the colonization of the vagina with potentially dangerous microbes (gardnerella, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas).

Comparing douching with other hygiene procedures, such as rinsing your mouth, is completely wrong.

Please note: unlike the oral cavity, the female genital organs work in such a way that the movement of fluid in them always occurs only from top to bottom - that is, from the uterine cavity, through the cervix into the vagina, and out of the vagina. Douching violates this law of fluid circulation and is therefore completely unphysiological.

The negative impact of douching on a woman's health, without tests and examinations, at home can be seen by the following signs:

Often, some time after the start of douching for a "strange smell or discharge", women notice an increase in both smell and discharge, the appearance of pain and itching in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entrance to the vagina. It is clear that this is almost always taken as a sign of the further development of the disease and almost never as a harmful effect of the procedure itself.

Does douching help with discharge, vaginal odor, or itching?

As mentioned above, many women use douching to eliminate vaginal discharge, odor, or (less commonly) itching.

This is completely wrong:

• firstly, very often discharge and an unpleasant odor are completely normal physiological phenomena that do not require any treatment;
• secondly, in cases where the discharge and smell are accompanied by itching, it is most correct to assume that some kind of infection is their cause. As will be shown below, douching is ineffective against infections.

Do douches with antimicrobial components kill microbes that cause infections?

Many women douche with solutions prepared on the basis of various antibacterial components (for example, potassium permanganate, boric acid, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, copper sulfate, creolin, hydroperite, furatsilin solution, soap, tantum rose, chlorophyllipt, rotokan, garlic, chlorhexidine, vodka and etc.).

In their opinion, such douching solutions have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microbes and are therefore useful in the treatment of various genital infections.

In fact, as will be shown in detail below, douches (regardless of which antimicrobial agents are used to prepare the solution) are completely ineffective as a treatment for genital infections and their symptoms.

Moreover, douching can have the opposite effect of what is desired, namely, to promote the development and spread of infection.

Do douches with medicinal herbs have a beneficial effect on the female genital organs?

Analyzing the questions and reviews of women in various forums, we found that many of them use (and recommend others to use) infusions or decoctions from medicinal plants for douching.

This is completely understandable: in many countries of Eastern Europe (including Russia), Asia, and South America, the use of medicinal plants is an ingrained folk tradition and many people find it much more effective and safer than modern methods of treatment.

At the moment, none of the medicinal plants recommended for douching (chamomile, calendula (marigold), celandine, wormwood, sage, eucalyptus, tea tree, yarrow, St. John's wort, nettle, succession, acacia, bay leaf, oak bark) have passed no testing for efficacy and safety.

Despite the fact that many people sincerely believe that medicinal plants bring only benefits, the authors of this article in no way recommend using infusions or decoctions of medicinal herbs for douching. It is obvious that any possible positive impact of such treatment will be much less harm that it can cause to a woman's health.

Is it possible to do douching during or after menstruation (monthly)?

Although it seems logical to many women to need a "special cleaning" of the vagina during or after their period, there really is absolutely no need for this. What's more, douching during your period can increase your risk of infection.

Do I need to clean my vagina after using vaginal suppositories?

If you used vaginal suppositories, creams or tablets during treatment, there is no need to “cleanse” the vagina with douches after the treatment is over. The vagina will clear itself.

Are douches effective for bacterial vaginosis?

The immediate cause of the development of bacterial vaginosis is a violation of the normal composition of the microflora of the vagina. As mentioned above, douching can significantly change the composition of the normal microflora of the vagina and therefore not only cannot be used to treat bacterial vaginosis, but can also contribute to the development of this disease.

To “restore the microflora of the vagina,” some women take douches with kefir, milk, and probiotics. For obvious reasons, such treatment is ineffective and even dangerous: getting into the vagina, milk and kefir stimulate the development of pathogenic microbes that use them as food. In addition, these products contain completely different bacteria than those that should be populated in the vagina of a healthy woman.

Does douching help with thrush (vaginal candidiasis)?

Many women do douching (especially often with baking soda) to treat thrush (vaginal candidiasis). In fact, douches (regardless of their composition) are completely useless in terms of treating thrush and can even contribute to the development of this disease in healthy women. As you know, the normal microflora of the vagina resists the colonization of the female genital organs by fungi, therefore, douching, disrupting the composition of the microflora, stimulates the growth of fungi.

Do douching help to cope with ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis?

Although douching seems to many women a very attractive (available and cheap) alternative to antibiotics prescribed for the treatment of genital infections, douching is completely ineffective against genital infections and cannot eliminate them, even if strong antiseptic solutions are used for the procedure.

The causative agents of the above diseases are able to "hide" deep in the tissues and inside the cells of the human body and therefore are completely immune to external influences, such as irrigation of the vaginal mucosa with therapeutic solutions.

Moreover, by changing the composition of the normal microflora of the vagina, douching contributes to the development of these diseases.

Are douches effective for erosion?

As you know, the main cause of the development of cervical erosion are gynecological infections, against which douching is completely powerless. In this regard, douching is completely ineffective in cervical erosion and can only aggravate the condition of a woman if used to treat this disease.

Are douches effective for endometriosis?

The development of endometriosis foci occurs under the influence of female sex hormones and their elimination is possible only through changes in the hormonal status of a woman. In this regard, douching with herbal solutions (or honey) is completely ineffective for endometriosis. Moreover, as some studies have shown, douching can contribute to the development of this disease. In particular, it has been suggested that douching may promote the spread of cells in the uterine lining (endometrium) outside the uterine cavity, where they give rise to endometriosis foci.

Are douches effective for cervical dysplasia?

As you know, the cause of cervical dysplasia is a violation of the program of division and work of cervical cells, which is most often the result of various infections. As we have repeatedly said in this article, douching is completely ineffective against infections and therefore does not help with dysplasia.

As in the case of cervical erosion (see above), with dysplasia, douching can only contribute to the development of the disease.

Another danger of using alternative methods of treatment and douching for dysplasia is the fact that when starting to use these remedies, a woman usually refuses the recommended treatment and observation by a doctor. As you know, without adequate control, dysplasia can give rise to the development of cervical cancer.

One group of researchers studying the incidence of cervical cancer in women in Mali reported that douching may reduce the risk of developing the disease. However, these data are not yet enough to recommend douching as a method of preventing cervical cancer, especially since proven and highly effective ways to prevent this disease are already known.

Are douches effective for fibroids?

No, douching is completely ineffective for fibroids. The growth of fibroids depends on the level of female sex hormones and is not controlled by chemicals or medicinal plants that can be used to prepare solutions for douching.

Do douches help with urethritis and cystitis?

In the vast majority of cases, urethritis and cystitis are the result of a bacterial infection of the urinary tract, in which douching is completely useless. Moreover, douching involves the introduction of therapeutic solutions into the vagina, while with cystitis and urethritis, it is not the vagina that is inflamed, but the bladder and urethra. Despite the fact that these organs are located very close to the vagina, medicinal substances from the vagina cannot enter them.

Due to the fact that in the vast majority of cases, urethritis and cystitis are the result of a bacterial infection of the urinary tract, antibiotics are used to eliminate them.

Are douches after sex effective as a contraceptive and as protection against sexually transmitted diseases?

Despite the fact that douching after sex (with lemon juice, mineral water, vinegar (including apple cider), salt, citric acid) has been used since ancient times as a method of protection against unwanted pregnancy, they are completely ineffective in this regard.

As mentioned above, douching is completely useless in terms of treating and preventing sexually transmitted infections, so condoms should be used instead.

Is it true that douching promotes conception?

Many women use douching (especially often with baking soda) to increase their chances of conceiving. However, from a scientific and practical point of view, this is completely unreasonable.

The acidic environment that is created by the normal microflora of the vagina is optimal for spermatozoa, and any interference with the normal functioning of the vagina (including douching) only reduces the likelihood of becoming pregnant.

In many reviews “about how I got pregnant after douching with soda”, you can see that a woman manages to conceive a child after several months of trying, some time after the start of douching. Such "successful" cases should be considered a mere coincidence. As you know, in most healthy couples, the conception of a child takes from several months to 1 year.

Is it possible to douche after childbirth?

Many women are interested in the possibility of douching to clean the vagina (in the first weeks after childbirth) or to narrow the vagina (a few months after childbirth).

Douching immediately after childbirth is strictly prohibited and can be dangerous (increases the risk of developing endometritis). There is no need to take any special measures to clean the vagina after childbirth. The vagina is cleaned on its own and the less a woman interferes with his work, the better.

The use of douching to narrow the vagina is completely unreasonable. The imaginary effectiveness of this method is due to the fact that in many women, a few months after giving birth (just when many begin to douche), the vagina narrows on its own.

Is it possible to douche during pregnancy?

During pregnancy (at any time) douching is strictly prohibited. As mentioned above, douching increases the risk of developing bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis, which during pregnancy can cause preterm labor and infectious complications after childbirth.

Can I douche after an abortion or other gynecological procedures?

Douching is strictly prohibited for at least 1 week after an abortion, diagnostic curettage (curettage), hysteroscopy, colposcopy, hysterosalpingography, cytological smear and other gynecological procedures. Due to the fact that the cervix remains open for some time after gynecological procedures, germs from the vagina can easily pass through it into the uterine cavity and further into the abdominal cavity. Since douching facilitates the penetration of infection from the vagina into the uterine cavity, their implementation after gynecological procedures increases the risk of developing a dangerous infection. see also Detailed explanation of medical abortion

publication date: 24.10.2011

Article last revised: 9T15:08:46+02:00 .

about the project

The object of our work is the systematic analysis of scientific information to transparently present information about the benefits, harms and limitations of medical services and strengthen the ability of patients and their families to participate in important medical decisions.

Douching - washing the vagina with solutions of herbs or medicines. The first and most important thing that every girl should know about these procedures is that douching can only be used as directed by a doctor.

Do not douche just like that: after douching, water (or solution) leads to a decrease in resistance to pathogens and a violation of the vaginal environment - vaginosis. Frequent douching "for hygiene", which women prescribe themselves, is one of the causes of thrush.

This is a controversial procedure, and given that it somehow flushes out healthy microflora from the vagina, not all gynecologists prescribe it. In any case, it is worth douching only on the recommendation of a doctor, no more often and no longer than he prescribed.

In world practice, gynecologists are moving away from this procedure, replacing it with less aggressive methods of treatment. According to some doctors, douching during erosion even more damages the epithelium of the cervix, douching with thrush too often exacerbates dysbacteriosis.

Is it possible to carry out this procedure before visiting a gynecologist? No no and one more time no. The doctor will not be able to take a smear from you, since the discharge, a natural lubricant, is thoroughly washed by you. The effect of the solution on the mucous membrane distorts the clinical picture, and it becomes difficult to identify the disease and make a diagnosis.

How to do douching?

If you still want to know how to douche properly, read on. First you need to buy a pear-syringe at the pharmacy. The usual mug of Esmarch is also suitable. The rubber tubes of the Esmarch mug or syringe should be wiped with alcohol, then rinsed with boiled water. The tips of Esmarch's mug are boiling. You must be sure that the syringe and all its parts are disinfected. Prepare the solution, type it into a syringe.

Esmarch's irrigator

The basis of the solution is boiled water at room temperature. For one time, 200–300 ml is enough - a liter or one and a half liter Esmarch mug should be less than half filled. If you use the Esmarch mug, it is suspended 75 cm above the lumbar region. It is necessary to lie on your back, bend and spread your knees. At home, the procedure is usually carried out in the bathroom, otherwise a vessel is placed under the buttocks. The vestibule of the vagina is lubricated with lanolin or petroleum jelly. Air is released from the tube. Insert the tip of the syringe (5–7 cm) into the vagina. At first, the jet should be weak. The solution should wash the vagina and pour out - the procedure takes 15 minutes. After douching, you need to lie down for 20-30 minutes.

Gynecological syringe

If you have any questions about how to perform this procedure, ask your gynecologist. Some girls are looking for information on how to douche the uterus. However, the syringe allows you to enter the solution only into the vagina, so douching of the uterus is not carried out.

Is it possible to douche during pregnancy?

Carrying out this procedure during pregnancy can cause a violation of the natural microflora, and now the reproduction of pathogenic flora threatens not only the mother, but also the baby. Douching during pregnancy, according to modern medical requirements, is unacceptable.

Solutions for douching

If you douche at home, use only clean, boiled water to prepare solutions to avoid infection.

• Douching with potassium permanganate

This procedure causes conflicting reviews of gynecologists: some prescribe vaginal douching with a light solution, but most argue that potassium permanganate does more harm than good: it can burn the vaginal mucosa and destroy beneficial microflora. Using potassium permanganate to prevent pregnancy is ineffective.

• Douching with hydrogen peroxide

To prepare a solution, peroxide is diluted at a concentration of 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. This procedure helps to restore the healthy acidic environment of the vagina.

• Douching with chamomile

Douching with chamomile is most often done with thrush: the douche is filled with infusion of 2 tbsp. l. flowers per 1 liter of boiling water.

• Douching with soda

Soda is used to change the acid-base balance. First of all, this is douching for conception. The fact is that the healthy environment of the vagina is acidic, and the sperm is alkaline. Under the influence of an acidic environment, many spermatozoa die and lose their mobility: nature has provided this mechanism so that only the most viable swim to the egg. Douching with soda for conception - no earlier than half an hour before sexual intercourse - allows you to reduce acidity and "help" the spermatozoa reach their goal. This is a folk method, and there is no evidence of its effectiveness. This is how our grandmothers douched. If you decide to try, remember: an alkaline environment is more vulnerable to pathogens, and there is also a risk of developing candidiasis. The syringe is filled with a solution of 1 tsp. for 0.5 liters of boiled water.

A solution of soda is carried out not only douching for conception, but also against candidiasis. Douching with soda with thrush can slow down the vital activity of the fungus and even destroy it. On the other hand, the use of soda for thrush makes the vaginal environment even more alkaline, only exacerbating the acid-base imbalance.

• Douching with chlorhexine

Chlorhexine is prescribed in cases where a broad-spectrum drug is needed against pathogenic bacteria and fungi at the same time.

• Douching with chlorophyllipt

A solution of chlorophyllipt is used in the presence of gynecological infections. It is effective in the fight against antibiotic-resistant staphylococci. For douching chlorophyllipt (alcohol solution 1%) - 1 tbsp. l. - diluted with 1 liter of water. Oil chlorophyllipt 2% is used for cervical erosion - the doctor lubricates the cervix with a cotton swab.

Alcohol chlorophyllipt 1% ​​or oil chlorophyllipt 2% is used as an impregnation for tampons, which are installed in the vagina during erosion. Chlorophyllipt-spray is applied topically for erosions. In no case should you use a spout that has a chlorophyllipt spray to administer the drug into the vagina! The syringe cannot be replaced by a spray.

Before using a chlorophyllipt solution, make sure you are not allergic to it. In the drug chlorophyllipt, the instruction contains a complete description of how to do this. If you are going to use chlorophyllipt, the instructions contain answers to most questions about how to douche correctly.

• Vagothyl douching

Vagotil is used for vaginitis caused by Candida albicans or Trichomonas vaginalis, cervical erosion, ulceration resulting from prolonged use of the pessary, itching in the vagina and whites. To douche, vagothyl (5-15 ml) is dissolved in 1 liter of water.

In what cases does the doctor prescribe douching?

Indications: douching is prescribed for erosion, chronic inflammation of the vagina and cervix. To restore the acid-base balance, douching may be prescribed for thrush (candidiasis) and some other diseases. Contraindications: acute inflammation of the genital organs, pregnancy, menstruation, within 3-4 weeks after an abortion or childbirth.

There are a lot of conflicting opinions both about whether douching should be done in principle, and about the procedure for carrying out the procedure itself. Even gynecologists are not always sure that douching will help a woman in a particular case, but still they resort to it quite often for various diseases of the urogenital area. If you know how to douching correctly and always strictly adhere to the recommendations, the harm from the procedure will be minimal.

What can you douche and in what cases?

Douching involves the forced introduction of a liquid into the vagina. Most often, these are decoctions of medicinal herbs or medicines specially designed for douching. It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to the question of what you can douche with, since it all depends on the purpose for which you are carrying out this procedure.

In order to avoid the negative consequences that douching often entails, it is important to follow a few very simple rules. First, you should always consult with your gynecologist, since the introduction of various fluids into the uterine cavity is far from always indicated. In addition, it is necessary to strictly control the temperature of the liquid, and do this with a thermometer in order to assess the performance as accurately as possible.

As a rule, the course of douching treatment lasts from three to five days, but it is highly not recommended to spend it for more than seven days in a row. It is also important to observe the duration of one sanitation: do not allow the total time to exceed 10 minutes.

Can douching be done at home?

If a woman is in a gynecological hospital, there is a possibility that douching will be shown to her in a medical institution as therapeutic measures. However, douching at home is more common: this procedure does not cure serious gynecological pathologies, and therefore it can be used independently.

To date, the pages of online publications are full of numerous messages in which douching is elevated almost to the rank of a panacea and is universally recommended for use. We recommend that all such advice be treated with extreme caution and without the recommendation of a doctor, do not use any drug, not a single remedy for alternative treatment. If you think that a certain procedure will help you get rid of an existing problem, tell your doctor about how you plan to be treated and listen to his opinion on this matter.

How to do douching with thrush?

Most women, when they have thrush, try to cope with the problem on their own, using pharmacy or folk remedies for douching. However, a doctor can also prescribe douching for thrush, but not as an independent measure, but as an addition to the main therapy, designed to eliminate itching and discomfort.

When it comes to medicinal herbs, it is important to remember that decoctions and infusions for douching need to be prepared for only one procedure, since it makes no sense to store the solution for more than two hours: most of its useful properties are lost. As for the preparations of the pharmaceutical industry, they can be used only on the recommendation of a doctor who will prescribe the concentration of the douching solution, its volume, and the duration of treatment.

If the use of any antimicrobial drug did not help you get rid of thrush after a few days of treatment, there is no point in continuing it, as addiction develops. Most importantly, do not forget that neither herbal nor chemical douching will help with thrush if you do not treat the internal cause of the problem.

When is chlorhexidine douching necessary?

Douching with chlorhexidine has recently become quite popular. The composition of this drug includes a bigluconate component that can fight chlamydia, gonococci, ureaplasmas and pale treponema. Also, chlorhexidine can destroy yeast, herpes simplex virus and dermatophytes, but it has no effect on bacteria and fungi.

The pharmacy sells a ready-made solution of chlorhexidine for douching, which does not need to be diluted. Moreover, a syringe for its use is also not required, since the packaging of the medicine itself is a pear. The unpacked package should be inserted with a tip into the vagina (it is best to take a supine position for this) and, pressing on the vial, slowly inject the drug inside. You can’t get up right away - you need to lie down for a few minutes.

It is strictly forbidden to douche with chlorhexidine during pregnancy. If unprotected intercourse has occurred with a new partner, chlorhexidine can serve as a prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, but it is better not to postpone the subsequent examination. Frequent use of the solution is fraught with bacterial vaginosis.

Treating thrush with douching with chlorhexidine may not be helpful. The fact is that candidiasis is usually provoked by fungi, against which the drug in question is powerless. Therefore, such douching with thrush can only be recommended by a doctor who, during examination, will find concomitant diseases in a woman that chlorhexidine can handle.

Douching with soda: indications and features

Soda has been used to treat thrush for many decades and has effectively helped to cope with it even in those days when there were no special preparations. It is pointless to dispute the effectiveness of this remedy, since burning, itching and discomfort disappear after the first procedure.

Douching with soda for a faster effect is recommended to be combined with antifungal therapy. There are no contraindications for this procedure, but this does not mean that a woman who finds herself with thrush may not go to the doctor and be treated only with baths and douching. On the one hand, even a one-time douching with soda relieves a woman of uncomfortable cheesy secretions, but on the other hand, if special preparations are not taken at the same time, the effect will disappear after a few days.

To prepare the correct solution for douching, 5 g of soda is dissolved in a glass of boiled, but cooled to a temperature of 30 degrees, water. After douching, you should remain in the supine position for several minutes, and then apply an ointment containing nystatin or levorin.

The nuances of douching with chamomile

Douching with chamomile is used for various inflammatory processes in the vagina or cervix. It is not advisable to use it for the treatment of thrush, since this plant is unable to eliminate the causative agent of candidiasis. However, douching with chamomile will help get rid of the swelling, redness and discomfort that are inevitable with this disease.

To prepare the solution, you will need 15 grams of dried or 50 grams of fresh raw chamomile. It is placed in an enamel bowl and poured with a liter of boiling water. Having placed the dishes on a minimum fire, the solution should be brought to a boil and turned off, then left to cool to the required temperature. Upon reaching a temperature of 37 degrees, the broth is filtered and used all for one procedure. Attention! Correct introduction implies that you will pour a liter of broth slowly, for at least 10 minutes. As a rule, such douching is carried out before going to bed.

When is miramistin douching necessary?

Miramistin is a pharmacy drug that does an excellent job with bacteria and fungi, against which most antibiotics are ineffective. It is also effective in the fight against chlamydia, ascomycetes, treponema and dermatophytes. On the recommendation of a doctor, douching with Miramistin is carried out for 5-14 days, preparing a solution from the drug and boiled water in a ratio of 1:10 (100 ml of solution is enough for one procedure).

Most often, after using Miramistin, local negative reactions occur: burning, tingling. This is an absolutely normal phenomenon that does not require discontinuation of the drug. In addition to the numerous diseases that can be cured by douching using Miramistin, such procedures help to cope with some sexually transmitted diseases. Also, after unprotected intercourse with a new partner, it can be used as a prophylactic to prevent infections.

Can you douche with hydrogen peroxide?

If a woman has developed vaginal dysbacteriosis due to antibiotics or for some other reason, douching with hydrogen peroxide can help. This is very important for women's health, since a sharp decrease in the number of lactic acid bacteria, inevitable with dysbacteriosis, can provoke colpitis.

A complex of therapeutic measures, including douching with a peroxide solution, will help restore the normal microflora. Attention! Use for these purposes only a 3% pharmaceutical solution of hydrogen peroxide, which should be diluted with chilled boiled water in a ratio of 1:3 before use. Douching rules are similar to those recommended for procedures with other solutions.

Conditions in which douching with celandine helps

Please note that for douching using this plant, you can only use a decoction of the herb, and in no case its fresh juice! Douching with celandine well relieves inflammation, eliminates itching. It is strictly forbidden to use celandine during pregnancy, as well as the first week after childbirth, miscarriages and abortions.

To prepare an infusion from fresh herbs, fill a liter jar halfway with raw materials (without tamping) and then pour boiling water to the top. After cooling to room temperature, strain, use the entire infusion in one procedure. A decoction is prepared from dry raw materials: pour 10 g of celandine with a liter of water, bring to a boil and leave for 4 hours. Strain. Douche with decoctions and infusions of celandine should be twice a day.

Should I do douching with potassium permanganate?

Doctors are sounding the alarm that many women consider douching with potassium permanganate a panacea for all diseases, although in reality this is far from the case. Gynecologists agree only with the use of this procedure in some cases: after childbirth for the treatment of internal tears. Advice regarding the fact that potassium permanganate solution helps prevent STDs, unwanted pregnancy and cure thrush is completely unfounded.

From douching with potassium permanganate, you can get much more harm than good. The solution dries out the mucous membrane, causing pain during intercourse, and kills the beneficial microflora. And cooking it “by eye” can lead to burns if the required concentration of 0.02% is not met.

Precautions for douching with iodine

Douching with iodine is practically not used in medical practice today. It does not carry curative, but rather disinfecting consequences, therefore, sometimes such a procedure is recommended after an artificial termination of pregnancy. In addition to the fact that non-compliance with the concentration can provoke burns of the mucous membrane, potentially a woman faces another danger.

An iodine solution introduced into the vagina kills all lactobacilli functioning there. True, within 120 hours the microflora will stop, but until this happens, a woman is threatened with infection with numerous infections, especially if she visits public toilets.

Indications for douching with furatsilin

Douching with furacilin has no contraindications and can be used as often as desired. Another thing is that this procedure is nothing more than hygiene measures that do not help in the fight against various diseases. But you can completely get rid of itching and discomfort with the help of this drug, supplementing the treatment with other therapeutic measures.

A solution of furacilin, prepared from tablets and water in a weight ratio of 1:5000, does not cause irritation and / or burning, does not dry the mucous membrane, does not wash out the beneficial microflora.

Why is douching with citric acid water necessary?

Often, women, in search of methods to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, resort to very non-standard procedures. One of these is douching with water with citric acid or vinegar. On the one hand, doctors admit that the acidic environment in the vagina can indeed be detrimental to spermatozoa, which means that the goal will be achieved and pregnancy will not occur. But on the other hand, not a single reliable source reports any concentrations of such a solution. This is fraught with both overdrying of the mucous membrane and vaginal dysbacteriosis.

The importance of douching for conception

If a couple has no obstacles to conception, but pregnancy still does not occur, douching for conception can be tried. As a rule, its goal is to reduce the acidity of the vagina, which significantly increases the number of surviving sperm. How to do douching with soda was described in the corresponding section above. Tips for assisting in conception include the following:

• Perform the procedure on days of increased chance of getting pregnant (during the period of ovulation).
• If you are not doing ovulation tests, douche on days 11-18 of your cycle.
• During douching, avoid visiting baths, saunas, do not take hot baths.
• Sexual intercourse should take place no later than half an hour after douching.

Recently, gynecologists are trying to use other methods of treatment, since douching often brings more negative consequences than good. If, nevertheless, the doctor prescribed douching, all his recommendations should be strictly followed.

From my book "Encyclopedia of Women's Health" (in the process of editing and preparing for publication).

About 30% of women in developed countries use douches using solutions prepared at home or purchased from pharmacies. Two-thirds of African women douche at least once a month. In a number of countries, including post-Soviet countries, douching is a part of medical measures and is recommended by doctors everywhere. The frequency of douching in these countries reaches high levels, especially among the mature urban female population (90-97%). Women douching most often after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy, after menstruation to remove the remnants of bleeding, as a treatment for a number of vaginal infections, to eliminate itching of the external genital organs. The predominant number of women douche for hygienic purposes, completely unaware of the dangers of douching and the risk to which they expose their health. Many large surveys of women around the world show that most of them are unaware that the amount and smell of vaginal discharge changes during the menstrual cycle, so they perceive their discharge as abnormal and use douching to get rid of the discharge and smell. .
Cultural, social and educational factors influence the use of douching around the world. Traditionally, those women douching more often, where douching is prescribed by doctors, as part of the healing process. Ethnic factors do not play a big role. The higher the education of a woman (school, institute, university), the less douching is practiced. The age of the woman also affects the frequency of douching: women of young childbearing age (21-24 years) and women over 40 years old most often douche. Economic factors influence the frequency of douching: women douche more often (from 50 to 75%) living in poor socio-economic conditions (in poverty).

Are douches helpful in maintaining or restoring normal vaginal flora?
The claim that douching restores the normal flora of the vagina is just rumors and myths. The normal flora of the vagina is restored on its own. Frequent douching is associated with inflammation of the reproductive system, especially the fallopian tubes and appendages, ectopic pregnancy, exacerbation of bacterial vaginosis, the development of precancerous and cancerous diseases of the cervix, infertility, and a number of other problems. In healthy women, douching increases the risk of developing bacterial vaginosis.
Frequent douching wash out the normal flora of the vagina, which does not have time to recover. Normally, the vaginal flora recovers within 24-72 hours, but frequent douching and the use of chemical and antimicrobial solutions can lead to a delayed recovery of normal vaginal flora. When using saline and acid solutions, opportunistic and pathogenic flora multiply faster than normal flora and inhibit the growth of lactobacilli.
With a jet of water, vaginal microorganisms can be introduced retrograde into the cervical canal, uterine cavity and fallopian tubes, which can lead to the development of inflammatory processes of the internal genital organs. It has been proven that women suffering from vaginal dysbacteriosis and practicing douching are more likely to suffer from inflammation of the uterus (endometritis) and fallopian tubes. According to articles published over 30 years (1965-1995), douching increases the risk of inflammation of the internal genital organs by 73%, and the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy by 76%.
Douching liquefies the vaginal contents, making it less viscous, and therefore the cells of the vaginal mucosa become sensitive to pathogens of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and purulent inflammatory processes. The incidence of chlamydial infection is twice as high in women who douche with antibacterial solutions as compared to women who do not douche.
Douching with clean water after intercourse does not increase the risk of STIs, and, conversely, douching with solutions containing chemical or organic substances, including soap, increases the risk of STIs.

There is no safe douching frequency. Long-term use of douching at least once a month is a risk factor for the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy.
In adolescent girls and young girls, the surface of the cervix is ​​often covered with cylindrical epithelium (one layer of cells), so douching easily destroys this epithelium, injuring it with a jet of water and tips, which leads to inflammation of the affected areas with the addition of opportunistic microflora and sexually transmitted pathogens. way. Constant trauma to the epithelium of the cervix with regular douching can lead to a precancerous condition, especially if there are other risk factors for the development of cervical cancer. There is evidence that the incidence of cervical cancer in women who douche is higher than in those who do not use douche.
Douching has been linked to endometriosis.
About 5% of pregnant women practice douching (in the post-Soviet countries, these figures are much higher). Frequent douching increases the risk of early miscarriages. Some clinical studies have shown that douching increases the risk of preterm labor, especially in women with bacterial vaginosis. The more often douching, the greater the risk of giving birth prematurely. There is also a link between regular douching and low birth weight babies.
In every country in the world, there are several methods of douching, ranging from the use of ready-made solutions in special disposable bottles, to the use of rubber tanks (“pears”) or bulky plastic containers. The greater the volume of fluid administered, the greater the risk of inflammation of the organs of the reproductive system and ectopic pregnancy.

If a woman suffers from vaginal dysbacteriosis, can she use douching for therapeutic purposes? Most of the chemical agents and antimicrobials used for douching by women with vaginal dysbiosis are very ineffective, so they do more harm than good. Solutions of various types of vinegar can improve the acid-base balance of the vaginal environment and enhance the growth of beneficial microorganisms (lactobacilli), but douching with such solutions should be short-term and infrequent. Vinegar solutions do not destroy lactobacilli, therefore they are more gentle compared to other bactericidal preparations. Preparations containing iodine also have a bactericidal effect, but should be used with caution, since frequent and abundant washing of vaginal contents will lead to the growth of pathogens of other infections.

Douching, vaginal flora

douching

Douching is a medical procedure in gynecology, which consists in washing the vagina with solutions of medicinal substances.

At the moment, douching is considered exactly medical procedure, and not hygienic, because there is no “dirty” internal environment of our body. Some women douche to get rid of secretions, but why? After all, the vagina is specially lined with a mucous membrane that secretes a viscous secret. It is he who in itself has a cleansing effect. During ovulation, the amount of discharge may increase slightly, but they are still natural and harmless. This means that if you do not have any diseases, then you do not need douching, it is enough to take a shower every day.

However, infections also lead to discharge (leucorrhea). Some of them have a different color and smell, cause irritation and itching, others do not. In general, if your usual discharge has somehow changed, this is a reason to go for an examination to a gynecologist.

What can happen as a result of frequent douching? Natural lubrication is washed off, which causes tissue irritation, and the risk of allergic reactions also increases. In addition, acidity changes, which can lead to the death of the vaginal microflora. This means that access will be open to pathogens that can move from the vagina higher, through the cervical canal into its cavity, fallopian tubes and ovaries. When using any means other than water for washing, a burn of the vaginal mucosa is possible, which is very difficult to treat.

Douching is strongly discouraged for women after 40 years of age, because they increase the already existing age-related dryness of the vagina and can cause irritation.

Douching is strictly contraindicated in acute inflammatory diseases of the internal genital organs (acute endometritis, adnexitis, etc.), during menstruation and pregnancy, in the first weeks after childbirth, after an abortion.

Do not douche as a self-medication. It is only one of the components of complex therapy. If you use only flushes, the infection can spread deeper and be much more difficult to deal with than if you immediately went to the doctor.

Never douche before visiting a gynecologist. After too thorough hygiene procedures, smear results are likely to be incorrect, which will delay the appointment of adequate treatment.

Can this procedure be performed on virgins? If there are medical indications (for example, vulvovaginitis), you can. BUT: the procedure is performed with great care only by a specialist!

For a long time he was trusted and many were let down by such a method of contraception as douching the vagina. Some women, unfortunately, still use this method. In the hope of preventing pregnancy, various means are used - from citric acid to miramistin and chlorhexidine. In addition to burning the vaginal mucosa or protecting against genital infections (the last two drugs), you will not get any other result. Douching with any solutions has a very weak relation to contraceptives. If you have ever had a positive experience with douching as a method of contraception - do not flatter yourself, it was just an unfavorable day for conception.

The reason for the ineffectiveness of the method lies in the physiology of the sexual intercourse process. During ejaculation, a very powerful release of sperm occurs, and spermatozoa rush to the cervix with great speed. Even if we assume that immediately after ejaculation you will run into the shower, you are unlikely to have time to complete the entire procedure in 1 minute. This is how much it takes sperm to reach the goal. And if you and your partner had a simultaneous orgasm, then the spermatozoa, like a vacuum cleaner, are sucked into the uterus as a result of its orgasmic contractions. So it's better not to risk it!

Douching technique. At home, for this procedure, you will need a rubber bulb with a tip or a special irrigator - a syringe. It consists not only of the container itself - a cylinder with a tip, but also has a special plastic tube. This allows you to control the flow of fluid from the irrigator by slightly raising or lowering the balloon.

Pour the prepared solution into the syringe. For douching, you can sit in the bathroom. It is necessary to lie on the bottom of the bath on your back, and bend your legs at the knees and put them on its edges (the position resembles a pose on a gynecological chair). You can stand in the bath, bend your knees a little (position in a semi-squat position) and slightly tilt your torso forward. In the same way, you can sit above the toilet. Next, you need to insert the tip of the pear or irrigator into the vagina. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the mucous membrane, in no case without making any effort.

It happens (more often in a sitting position) that you cannot insert the tip, even if you have done it before without any problems. The reason lies in muscle tension - this situation can arise at any time. Do nothing, just sit quietly for a few minutes, the muscles themselves will relax.

After inserting the tip, apply very gentle pressure to the syringe. If the liquid does not flow out, pull the bulb back 1-2 cm, find a position in which it will flow into the vagina with minimal pressure on the bulb. Fluid should not enter the vagina under high pressure. This can lead to its casting into the cervical canal and into its cavity, which is fraught with inflammation of the internal genital organs.

The duration of the douching procedure is 10–15 minutes. If the doctor has not prescribed otherwise, then douching is done in the morning and in the evening, after the condition improves - 1 time per day, then every other day and, finally, 1-2 times a week. The course of treatment is usually prescribed 7-10 procedures.

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (SP) of the author TSB

From the book The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Our Delusions [with illustrations] author

From The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Our Delusions [with transparent pictures] author Mazurkevich Sergey Alexandrovich

Douching Sometimes you can hear that for hygiene purposes, you need to douche every day at night. Allegedly, microbes accumulate otherwise. However, in reality there is no particular need for this. This procedure may be needed only as a therapeutic measure.

From the book 200 intimate questions to the gynecologist author Pochepetskaya Olga

Douching Douching is a medical procedure in gynecology, which consists in washing the vagina with solutions of medicinal substances. At the moment, douching is considered a medical procedure, and not a hygiene one, because the “dirty” internal environment of our