Almost all of the women dislike getting their periods. Menstruation causes you suffering from menstrual cramps, mood swings, and most importantly the irritating work of changing sanitary napkins or tampons. One more irritating thing about menstruation period could be a pad rash. Generally, some women suffer from a kind of rash on their thighs and vaginal area because of wearing the sanitary napkins or the pads. These itchy rashes or the pad rashes can cause inflammation and may be really painful and may require being treated medically with application of some topical cream, powder etc. However, it is very much essential for every woman to follow some menstrual hygiene to maintain during her periods so as to keep away from the pad rash and other irritating conditions caused due to the sanitary napkins during the period.
How to Get Rid of Pad Rash?
Apart from choosing a good sanitary pad, changing your pad regularly, and maintaining proper vaginal hygiene, you need to follow some of the ways listed below to get rid of pad rash.
-
Use Prescription Topical Cream:
Consult with your doctor and make use of a topical cream prescribed by him or her. There are a lot many different types of rashes and your doctor will know which medicine will actually provide you enough relief from the pad rash that you are suffering with. Anti-fungal cream is prescribed for the yeast infection caused due to sanitary pads; but for the bacterial infections causing pad rash, antiseptic and antibiotic cream is prescribed by the doctors.
-
Apply Powder Can Help Get Rid of Pad Rash:
Applying powder will aid in keeping the area dry. You need to apply powder before wearing the sanitary pad and after washing your vaginal area. Make sure that you apply the powder only around the vaginal region and the inner thighs. Also note that instead of using regular talcum powder, you can use antiseptic or anti-fungal powder.
-
Avoid Wearing Tight Clothes:
If you are suffering from pad rash, then it is important to note that you must not wear tight clothes or synthetic fabric and avoid having bubble bath during your periods.
Menstrual Hygiene to Maintain During Periods:
-
Choose A Good Method of Sanitation:
There are a lot of ways including the use of sanitary napkins, tampons and menstrual cups, to remain clean. There are many women who prefer using sanitary napkins. However, if you decide to make use of a tampon then remember that it is essential to choose one that has the lowest rate of absorbency for your blood flow during periods.
There are also some women who choose to make use of either different types of sanitary pads or napkin on different days of their period or different methods of protection, such as, a tampon and a sanitary pad etc. Here we would let you know that it is also best to try and use one brand for one type of protection for a while to know if it aids your needs. Switching between sanitary napkin brands frequently can make you uncomfortable since brands are as unique as you and they suit everyone differently.
-
Change Your Pad Regularly:
Once the menstrual blood has left the body, it gets contaminated with the body’s innate organisms. This rules applies for even those days when you do not have much bleeding, as your pad is still damp and will be carrying organisms from your vagina and sweat from your genitals etc. when such organisms remain in a warm and moist place for a long time, they tend to multiply and this can cause conditions such as urinary tract infection, skin rashes, vaginal infections etc.
It is thus always essential for you to change your sanitary pads once in every six hours, while for a tampon it is once in every two hours. It must also be noted that women having heavy flow during their periods as compared to others would require changing their sanitary pads more frequently.
-
Wash Yourself Regularly:
There is one more menstrual hygiene method you need to know to maintain during your periods to avoid getting pad rash. When you menstruate, the blood tends to enter tiny spaces such as skin between your labia or crust around the opening of the vagina and you must thus always wash this excess blood away. Practicing this hygiene also tends to beat bad odor from the vaginal region during your periods. So, it is important for you to wash your vagina and labia(the projecting part of female genitals) properly before you change in to a new sanitary pad. If you cannot wash then you can wipe off the areas using a toilet paper or a tissue.
-
Do Not Use Soaps Or Vaginal Hygiene Products:
It is also important to note that the vagina has its own cleaning mechanism that works in a pretty fine balance of good and bad bacteria. So, washing it with soap or vaginal hygiene products can kill the good bacteria, thus making way for infections. So, while it is important to wash yourself regularly and keep the vaginal area clean during periods, all you need is to use some warm water. You can use soap on the external parts, but do not use it inside the vagina or vulva.
-
Use The Right Washing Technique:
It must also be mentioned that you must always use the right washing technique. Always wash or clean the area in a motion that is from the vagina to the anus. Make sure never to wash in the opposite direction which can otherwise cause bacteria from the anus to lodge in the vagina and urethral opening and thus may lead to more serious infections.
-
Beware Of The Pad Rash:
A pad rash is something that a woman might experience during her period of heavy flow. It generally occurs when the pad has been wet for a long time and when it rubs along the thighs causing it to chaff. In order to prevent this from occurring, always try to stay dry during your periods. If you have a pad rash, change your pads regularly and keep yourself dry. Also apply an antiseptic or antifungal cream after a bath and before sleeping; which will heal the rash and prevent from occurring in future. Keep it noted that in case it gets worse, do visit your doctor and take the prescribed medications.
-
Have A Bath Regularly:
In some cultures it is like woman should not bathe during their periods. However, this is absolutely a myth and based on the facts it is very much essential for you to have bath regularly, even during your periods. Bathing regularly not only cleanses your body but also provides you a chance to clean your private parts as well. Bathing also helps in relieving menstrual cramps, backaches and also aids in improving your mood and makes you feel less bloated during your periods.
-
Keep Extra Sanitary Pads In A Clean Pouch:
It is important for you to be ready when you have your periods. It is always necessary that you have extra sanitary pads or tampons which are properly stored in a clean pouch or a paper bag, a soft towel, some paper tissues, hand sanitizer, bottle of drinking water, a healthy snack, a tube of antiseptic medication etc. Changing your tampons or pads regularly is very much essential.
It is essential that you store your sanitary pads properly so that they do not get contaminated. It must be noted that sanitary pads that remain in your bag without a clean pouch to protect it, can cause urinary tract infections or vaginal infections.
-
Discard Your Used Pads Properly:
It is very much essential to discard your used sanitary pads or tampons properly, as they are capable of spreading infections and they would also smell bad. Wrapping it properly before discarding it ensures that the smell and infection from the pads will not spread. It is also advised not to flush the sanitary pads or tampon down the toilet, as they can block and cause the toilet to back up.
Apart from this, it is more important for you to wash your hands properly after you discard your used sanitary pads or napkins.
Also Read: