FUNGI AND BICARBONATE: Natural remedy

Mycoses and bicarbonate

The  fungal infections  are caused by fungi. They develop everywhere on the skin, in the genitals, especially on the feet, hands, under the armpits or nails. It is very unpleasant because of the itching it causes. Fortunately, there is a very effective grandmother's remedy for itching from yeast infection. However, Dawasanté experts have a natural treatment based on African plants to treat vaginal yeast infection. Click on the image below to discover this natural treatment. 

 Treating vaginal yeast infection with natural products can be beneficial. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, also known as natron, has been used for millennia. What place for this baking soda in the treatment of vulvovaginal mycosis?

Baking soda: a less acidic vulvovaginal environment

The cause of  vaginal  yeast infection is a fungus or yeast of the candida albicans type   (most often, sometimes another yeast), and this yeast thrives in an acidic environment. Hence the idea of ​​making the vulvovaginal environment less acidic, more hostile to candida, in order to prevent the agent of vaginal yeast infection from developing. However, bicarbonate has this effect of reducing acidity.

What is sodium bicarbonate?

Sodium bicarbonate is a salt in the form of white crystals that are soluble in water. It has a power that is called a buffer power. In an acidic environment, it lowers the acidity. That's what interests us here! Bicarbonate is also a molecule whose formula is NaHCO3. It makes you a nice leg!

To quickly get rid of the typical manifestations of vaginal yeast infection, “baking soda” or sodium bicarbonate can work wonders. In fact, used with the prior agreement of a health professional such as the pharmacist, it would prove to be rather effective while awaiting another allopathic treatment, notably medicinal products.
While waiting for a medical consultation, bicarbonate can be used as an "intimate soap" since it promotes healing by reducing acidity. It is generally advisable to pour two tablespoons of it in a liter of boiled (and cooled) water and use the mixture to wash your private parts daily.

What is sodium bicarbonate used for for personal hygiene?

Baking soda is not a   sufficient treatment for vulvovaginal yeast infection, but an adjunct treatment, and that's already good. Clearly, sodium bicarbonate can provide relief if you have vulvovaginal yeast infection, but it will not be enough to get a cure for this vaginal yeast infection.

Where can I find sodium bicarbonate?

Baking soda is a white powder used in cooking and in various industries (chemical, food): its chemical formula is NaHCO3. It can be used for various domestic tasks (against bad odors, cleaning certain surfaces ...).

You can simply buy it in pharmacies, or even in supermarkets in the pastry department. Indeed, baking soda is also used for cooking!

Vaginal yeast infection, how to use baking soda?

Take a tablespoon of baking soda to dilute it in half a liter of lukewarm water. You can also use Hydralin classic, a powder intended for gynecological use, because it also contains sodium bicarbonate. But beware, this medicine contains fragrances, and some people may be allergic. You can do an external toilet with this solution, in a bidet (we know, it's old-fashioned, but useful!), In a basin… Avoid using this solution for an  intravaginal toilet , as it would be a source of irritation and imbalance of your  vaginal flora .

You should dilute baking soda in water and then wash yourself or take a bath in which the product has been dissolved: here is the type of advice you can read on the internet. These techniques would make it possible to have a fresh smell or to prevent irritation. For Bernard Hédon, gynecologist at the Montpellier University Hospital, interviewed by AFP Factuel , it is a very bad idea: "the risk of baking soda is to overdose and burn, like quicklime". 

When not to use baking soda?

Ideally, you should only use baking soda if you have vaginal yeast infection and for a maximum of 3 to 5 days. In fact, the vulvovaginal area is naturally acidic to defend itself against attacks from microbes, in particular bacteria. Because of course, vaginal yeast infection isn't the only threat to your intimate area. So if, with the baking soda, you do an  intimate toilet  every day, you will prevent the acidity from protecting you. You may have fewer yeast infections, but you may get other vaginal infections and instead bacterial vaginal infections. It's not so much better! So don't use baking soda when your vulvovaginal area is healthy.

Among these different publications, several attribute to baking soda interesting properties for rebalancing the pH of the vagina. The latter is acid unlike bicarbonate which is basic. However, this does not make it possible to reverse a disturbed vaginal pH, in the event of yeast infection for example, the chemical may aggravate the situation rather than relieve. "The basic pH (that which is higher than 7) is not a good pH for the vagina, underlines Bernard Hédon, it will kill some bacteria to let others proliferate, sometimes more formidable." 

You could also mix the baking soda with the apple cider vinegar by following these steps:

1: Put the baking soda and apple cider vinegar in a container.

2. Mix well to obtain a thick paste.

 3. Apply this poultice to the area affected by the yeast infection.

4. Leave to act for 30 min.

 5. Rinse with water.

 Result

 And now, thanks to the baking soda and vinegar, no more itching because of yeast infections :-) This non-prescription remedy is particularly effective in fighting against  yeast infections  ! Apply it twice a day until the symptoms subside. You don't even have to buy expensive drugs like the antifungal drugs that doctors prescribe!

However, specialists contacted by AFP say that although bicarbonate has an effect on vaginal pH, this chemical should not be used to wash the vagina, can worsen certain infections and has no properties that would lead to " fresh smell "to that part of the body. 

Risk of burns

" It is true that baking soda is a detergent, but it is not ideal for washing the vagina. Soap is another detergent, also basic like bicarbonate, but much more suitable for skin and mucous use " , explains Bernard Hédon, gynecologist at the University Hospital of Montpellier and former president of the National Union of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of France, contacted by AFP on July 19.

" The risk of baking soda is to overdose and burn, it's like quicklime, " warns the doctor. 

Moreover, a healthy vagina does not need to be cleaned: it " works on its own and is self-cleaning, like the intestine ". 

A cure worse than the disease

There is indeed a relationship between pH and vaginal infections. But it's not as easy as these posts suggest.

The pH of the vagina is acidic, it is true that baking soda, basic, could " reverse the vaginal pH and be beneficial in cases of  mycosis recurrent s " confirms Bernard Hédon.

But in general, this practice is strongly discouraged: " the basic pH  (higher than 7, editor's note)  is not a good pH for the vagina, it will kill some bacteria to let others proliferate, sometimes more formidable ", he specifies.

" There is a type of bacteria called lactobacilli which live in this slightly acidic environment, and which is normal to find in the vagina. When the pH is changed, these bacteria disappear and new ones emerge which can cause infections. " , continues the doctor Alejandro Bautista, former director of the Gynecology and Obstetrics department of the National University of Colombia at AFP.

Thus, " a vaginal washing with bicarbonate will alkalinize the pH  (make it alkaline, editor's note) , raising it above 5 and thus allowing the growth of bacteria foreign to the vagina which could infect it and cause vaginosis."

" This 'remedy' could actually turn out to be worse than the disease we are treating, " concludes Dr. Carlos Álvarez, ex-president of the Colombian Association of Infectious Diseases.