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Normally, the vaginal walls produce mucus, but as the cell structure of the mucus decays, it may cause irritation and the infection of the walls of the vagina. This may lead to leucorrhoea, mucous tissue erosion, infertility and even tumours, which is why cleansing of the vagina is an important procedure to help prevent and treat many gynaecological disorders.
Any abnormal vaginal discharge has an odour and causes irritation or itching. In young and middle-aged women these symptoms can be due to vaginitis, but for mature women they may indicate the start of more serious problems. With age the walls of the vagina become thinner, drier and less elastic, making it more vulnerable to infection. Also, the vagina plays an important role in the stimulation of the body’s hormonal processes.
Origins of female hygiene
Douching or gynaecological irrigation is the cleansing and washing out of the vagina with water. Sometimes a medicated fluid or a delicately perfumed solution can be added to a container with the cleansing water.
Throughout history, understanding and awareness of the importance of female hygiene were slowly achieved by trial and error, and both knowledge and practice improved from generation to generation. People have known about the beneficial effects of douching since the time of Hypocrites (470-410 BC) and Ibn Sina (980-1037 AD). Nowadays, medical practitioners all over the world support douching as an important part of female hygiene (see The vagina is not always self-cleansing). Vaginal cleansing is popular and available in many spas and resorts, where it is usually quite costly.
Therefore, the importance of cleansing of the vagina commonly known as douching has been clearly demonstrated for more than 1,000 years, and it should be incorporated into the daily routine of women today.
Read more in the book: Female Hygiene & Nutrition
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