(If your vagina is inflamed to the point of being “raw” and red, tea-tree oil shouldn’t be used, as it could be irritating.) For douching, mix ten drops of oil in a pint of warm water and douche; do this twice daily for seven to ten days. For suppositories, place one tea-tree oil suppository in your vagina twice a day for seven to ten days. You may want to wear a menstrual pad, as the oil from the suppositories can leak out.
You can purchase tea-tree-oil vaginal suppositories online or at your local natural-health pharmacy. They’re typically made with cocoa butter or vitamin E, which can be soothing to your vaginal mucosa—your vagina’s protective outer layer of moist tissue. Keep them on hand, and use one whenever you feel the beginning of a vaginal infection; this can nip it in the bud, preventing full-blown vaginitis.
— Goldenseal root. Also known as hydrastis , goldenseal can be used as a douche, as a sitz bath, or as vaginal suppositories to treat vaginal infections. It’s antibacterial, antifungal (which means it kills yeast), and gentle on your tissues. You can find goldenseal root at most herbal dispensaries, often as a powder, capsule, or pill. If you purchase capsules, you can open them and use the contents to make the mixture for your douche or sitz bath.
For a douche or sitz bath, bring four cups of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of goldenseal root, simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and let cool until it’s at a warm temperature, comfortable to douche with or sit in. For douching, use this mixture to douche twice daily for a week. For sitz baths, warm the mixture, pour it into a large pan, and sit in the pan for 10 minutes twice daily for two days.
To use goldenseal vaginal suppositories, place one in your vagina twice daily for a week. You may need to obtain goldenseal suppositories through your naturopathic physician; the ones I recommend, which are in a base of cocoa butter, are well tolerated by most women.
— Chinese herbal wash. You can treat vaginitis caused by bacteria or yeast, and nurture this sensitive yin area of your body with an antipathogenic herbal remedy from a Chinese-herb store. The product Yin-care combines a number of organic Chinese herbs, and makes an effective douche; for information on obtaining it, see Appendix C . Yin-care is recommended for chronic vaginal imbalances, known as “damp heat” conditions in the terminology of traditional Chinese medicine.
For douching, dilute the herbal wash in warm water, following the directions on the product label, and douche twice daily for five days. If you have a chronic or severe infection, mix the herbal wash with an equal amount of water, soak a tampon in the solution, place the tampon in your vagina, and leave it there for three hours; do this twice daily for six days.
— Friendly bacteria vaginal suppositories. If you suffer from bacterial vaginitis, you need to restore your vagina’s bacterial balance with friendly bacteria. Your vagina is healthiest when your friendly bacteria keep the unfriendly elements in check and help maintain your vaginal pH at the right level.
You can purchase over-the-counter suppositories containing friendly vaginal bacteria, known as Lactobacillus acidophilus , but it’s important not to overuse them; you don’t want an overgrowth of friendly bacteria. For most chronic or acute vaginal infections, use one suppository a week for seven weeks. (see Appendix C for information on purchasing friendly bacteria vaginal suppositories.)
To help determine whether vaginitis is caused by bacteria, examine any discharge you may have. If it’s yellow-green with a slightly fishy odor, you most likely have a bacterial infection; if it’s white and curd-like, you probably have a vaginal yeast infection. For a definitive diagnosis, however, you’ll need to see a doctor.
— Cleansing. You can have chronic vaginitis from bacteria or yeast if your immune system isn’t in peak form and your overall
You can purchase tea-tree-oil vaginal suppositories online or at your local natural-health pharmacy. They’re typically made with cocoa butter or vitamin E, which can be soothing to your vaginal mucosa—your vagina’s protective outer layer of moist tissue. Keep them on hand, and use one whenever you feel the beginning of a vaginal infection; this can nip it in the bud, preventing full-blown vaginitis.
— Goldenseal root. Also known as hydrastis , goldenseal can be used as a douche, as a sitz bath, or as vaginal suppositories to treat vaginal infections. It’s antibacterial, antifungal (which means it kills yeast), and gentle on your tissues. You can find goldenseal root at most herbal dispensaries, often as a powder, capsule, or pill. If you purchase capsules, you can open them and use the contents to make the mixture for your douche or sitz bath.
For a douche or sitz bath, bring four cups of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of goldenseal root, simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and let cool until it’s at a warm temperature, comfortable to douche with or sit in. For douching, use this mixture to douche twice daily for a week. For sitz baths, warm the mixture, pour it into a large pan, and sit in the pan for 10 minutes twice daily for two days.
To use goldenseal vaginal suppositories, place one in your vagina twice daily for a week. You may need to obtain goldenseal suppositories through your naturopathic physician; the ones I recommend, which are in a base of cocoa butter, are well tolerated by most women.
— Chinese herbal wash. You can treat vaginitis caused by bacteria or yeast, and nurture this sensitive yin area of your body with an antipathogenic herbal remedy from a Chinese-herb store. The product Yin-care combines a number of organic Chinese herbs, and makes an effective douche; for information on obtaining it, see Appendix C . Yin-care is recommended for chronic vaginal imbalances, known as “damp heat” conditions in the terminology of traditional Chinese medicine.
For douching, dilute the herbal wash in warm water, following the directions on the product label, and douche twice daily for five days. If you have a chronic or severe infection, mix the herbal wash with an equal amount of water, soak a tampon in the solution, place the tampon in your vagina, and leave it there for three hours; do this twice daily for six days.
— Friendly bacteria vaginal suppositories. If you suffer from bacterial vaginitis, you need to restore your vagina’s bacterial balance with friendly bacteria. Your vagina is healthiest when your friendly bacteria keep the unfriendly elements in check and help maintain your vaginal pH at the right level.
You can purchase over-the-counter suppositories containing friendly vaginal bacteria, known as Lactobacillus acidophilus , but it’s important not to overuse them; you don’t want an overgrowth of friendly bacteria. For most chronic or acute vaginal infections, use one suppository a week for seven weeks. (see Appendix C for information on purchasing friendly bacteria vaginal suppositories.)
To help determine whether vaginitis is caused by bacteria, examine any discharge you may have. If it’s yellow-green with a slightly fishy odor, you most likely have a bacterial infection; if it’s white and curd-like, you probably have a vaginal yeast infection. For a definitive diagnosis, however, you’ll need to see a doctor.
— Cleansing. You can have chronic vaginitis from bacteria or yeast if your immune system isn’t in peak form and your overall
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