A daily guide to women's health care

Do not blindly over-interfere with the body's normal flora and metabolism, give priority to your own feelings rather than unified standards, and seek medical treatment from a regular hospital as soon as possible if abnormalities occur instead of relying on Internet celebrity remedies.

Let’s talk about the care of the private parts that is the most misunderstood first. The Internet sometimes says that you must use a weak acidic lotion to clean it, and the next time it says that you can’t use any kind of lotion and can only use water. The two sides are arguing fiercely. In fact, the clinical consensus is very clear: if there is no discomfort in the private parts, just rinse the vulva with warm water every day. There is no need to wash the inside of the vagina. It has a self-purifying function. If you wash it randomly, it will disrupt the flora. But if you have mild flora imbalance, or you sweat a lot after exercise and feel stuffy, you can also use regular medical-grade weakly acidic care solutions under the guidance of a doctor. You don’t have to kill all the care solutions at once. Oh, by the way, don’t touch all the personal care gels and private sprays from internet celebrities that claim to be able to “shrink vaginas”, “detoxify” and “treat gynecological inflammation”. A 22-year-old girl I treated a while ago had only slight itching during ovulation. After watching a live broadcast, she bought three boxes of personal care gel for RMB 399. After using it for a week, she immediately developed fungal vaginitis. She was so itchy that she couldn’t even go to work. She really couldn’t do it.

When it comes to the clothing that sticks to the private parts every day, everyone has their own opinions on the choice of underwear. In the past, everyone shouted that pure cotton underwear must be worn, but now some people say that pure cotton is not as good as quick-drying fabrics for sweating. In fact, both statements are correct. It all depends on your own situation. If you are prone to allergies and don’t sweat much, then pure cotton is definitely the safest choice. ； But if you like to sweat in the summer, or work out frequently or run outdoors for a long time, pure cotton underwear will be more likely to breed bacteria if it sticks to your body for several hours after getting wet with sweat. In this case, it will be much more comfortable to choose a regular brand of high-count modal and sports-grade breathable and quick-drying fabrics. Some people also say that wearing thongs will cause gynecological diseases. In fact, as long as you choose the ones produced by regular manufacturers and made of qualified materials, and not the inferior ones with lace edges that cost a few dollars and rub against the skin, it is perfectly fine to wear them with tight skirts and fitness pants occasionally. You don’t have to wear them every day. I also wear hip skirts in the summer, and I haven’t had any problems.

After talking about the care of the lower body, let’s talk about the breast problem that everyone is paying attention to now. Nowadays, the most popular item in beauty salons is "breast unblocking". It is said that one massage can eliminate nodules and enlarge breasts. I really advise everyone not to try it randomly. First of all, let’s be clear: benign breast nodules cannot be removed by pressing. If you press hard, you may damage the breast tissue. There was a 30-year-old patient who had a 1cm Category 3 benign nodule during a physical examination. The beauty salon told her to do it twice a week. After half a year, she went to check again. The nodule had grown to 2cm, and she almost needed surgery. Of course, this does not mean that all breast massages are scams. If you are breastfeeding and have breast blockage, it is useful to find a breast rehabilitation doctor in a regular hospital to perform breast massage. Don't just ask amateurs in beauty salons to perform random massages. There are also a lot of debates about breast self-examination. Some experts say that self-examination is useless and cannot detect early problems. Some say that monthly self-examination is necessary. In fact, I think everyone can touch their breasts 3-7 days after the end of menstruation every month. There is no need to ask yourself to be able to do so. To detect nodules, the main thing is to familiarize yourself with your physical condition. If you touch a hard lump that was not there before, or it hurts when you touch it, just go to the hospital for a checkup in time. Under 30 years old, a breast ultrasound should be done once a year, and over 40 years old, a mammography target is more reliable than any self-examination.

There is also menstrual care that cannot be avoided every month, and there are countless rumors on the Internet. For example, can I wash my hair or drink ice? According to Western medicine, as long as you are not feeling unwell, it is absolutely fine and there are no contraindications. ； However, the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends that colds and colds be avoided as much as possible during menstruation to avoid aggravating dysmenorrhea. In fact, you don’t have to worry about who to listen to, it all depends on your own feelings. My colleague eats popsicles every month when he comes to visit his aunt, and it doesn’t matter at all. If I take a sip of iced milk tea and it makes me roll in bed in pain that day, then I won’t drink it. There is no need to suffer for the so-called “science”. And how often do you need to change sanitary napkins? There is no need to stick to the two-hour standard. When the amount is large, you must change it frequently. When the amount is small, don't exceed 4 hours. It is easy to breed bacteria if you keep it for a long time. As for choosing sanitary napkins, tampons or menstrual cups, it all depends on what you feel comfortable using. As long as the disinfection is in place and the operation is standardized, any one will be fine.

In fact, many people have ignored that emotions and daily routine have a greater impact on women’s health than any nursing method. I worked overtime for more than two months last year, stayed up until one or two o'clock every day, and had several quarrels with clients. A physical examination at the end of the year revealed a 3mm breast nodule and a small thyroid nodule. I was so scared that I quickly adjusted my schedule and tried to go to bed before 11 o'clock every day. I also tried not to hold it in when I encountered bad things. I complained to my friends more often. When I went for a follow-up examination this year, both nodules were almost gone. Nowadays, many little girls spend thousands of dollars on skin care products every day and buy all kinds of expensive care products. As a result, they stay up late every day and get sulky, which is really useless.

Oh, by the way, one last thing to say. If you really feel uncomfortable, such as itching, pain in your private parts, chest pain, or irregular menstruation, don’t search on Baidu, and don’t believe the folk remedies on the Internet. Go directly to the gynecology or breast department of a regular hospital to register. A registration fee of tens of dollars is much more useful than buying hundreds or thousands of care products.

In the final analysis, there is never a unified standard answer to women's health care. Your body is more reliable than all guides. Listening to its feedback is better than anything else.