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Itchy downstairs and discharge? Break the cycle of chronic vaginitis.

"My lower area is itchy and I have a lot of discharge." This is one of the common concerns that many women experience secretly. Even though gynecological examinations say there's no special problem, if uncomfortable symptoms repeat and treatments like antibiotics or vaginal suppositories only work temporarily, it can be frustrating. These chronic vaginitis symptoms are not just a local problem but could be an important signal that our body's balance is broken.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of "itchy downstairs and discharge" symptoms: ① Imbalance of beneficial bacteria in the vagina and decreased immunity / ② Accumulation of damp-heat and stagnation of qi and blood circulation / ③ Constitutional imbalance due to stress and lifestyle habits. Dalimchae Clinic treats the root of symptoms through constitutional improvement and prevents the recurrence of vaginitis by creating a body that recovers on its own.

Vaginitis is a common disease for women, but many suffer from repeated recurrences. There is temporary improvement with antibiotic treatment, but as soon as you stop the medicine, it often returns as if nothing happened. This is because vaginitis is not just a problem of external bacterial infection but is deeply related to our body's internal immunity and biological environment. In Korean medicine, the cause of vaginitis is seen as an imbalance in fluid metabolism (dampness) due to decreased spleen and stomach function, decreased immunity, and stagnation of qi and blood circulation. As beneficial bacteria in the vagina decrease and an environment where harmful bacteria can easily multiply is created, inflammatory reactions occur easily, and this becomes chronic.

Many people wonder if Korean medicine treatment is effective for vaginitis or leukorrhea symptoms. While Western medicine mainly focuses on directly removing harmful bacteria with antibiotics, Korean medicine aims for treatment that strengthens the overall functions of the body and helps the vaginal environment maintain its own health.

According to a study reported in the Minjok Medicine Newspaper in 2016 by a research team led by Professors Jang Jun-bok and Hwang Deok-sang of the Korean Medicine Women's Center at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, after performing acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine treatment, and two or more sitz bath therapies on 16 patients who visited for leukorrhea symptoms from December 2013 to October 2014, significant symptom improvement appeared. After 42.7 days of treatment, the average symptom score for the amount of discharge, sour smell, and vulvar discomfort (burning, dryness) that the patients mainly complained about decreased by about 55% from 4.9 points before treatment to 2.2 points. In particular, the amount of discharge improved significantly from 4.8 to 2.3, the smell from 4.2 to 1.6, and discomfort from 6.1 to 2.1. The researchers explained that these results seem to be due to herbal medicines with excellent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects (Cnidium fruit, Mugwort, Sophora root, etc.) contributing to reducing vaginal secretions and smell.

In addition, the "Study on Therapeutic Effect of KMST (Korean Medicine Steam Therapy) - Included Korean Medicine Combination Therapy about Leukorrhea Patients" research published in the Journal of Korean Obstetr Gynecol in 2015 confirmed significant improvement in overall health indicators such as leukorrhea symptoms, sleep, digestion, bowel movements, emotions, cold hands and feet, and menstrual pain before and after treatment on 16 leukorrhea patients who underwent combined Korean medicine treatment including Korean medicine steam therapy. Overall patient satisfaction was high, and no side effects were reported. The study suggests that traditional treatments like Korean medicine steam therapy can have a positive impact not only on alleviating leukorrhea symptoms but also on overall health promotion.

These research results show that the constitutional improvement treatment pursued by Dalimchae Clinic in Songdo can be an effective alternative to breaking the cycle of vaginitis recurrence and regaining a healthy body. At Dalimchae Clinic, we apply various Korean medicine treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and sitz baths in a complex way tailored to individual constitution and symptoms to help with fundamental treatment.

Check how many of the following items apply to you.

• □ The amount of vaginal discharge has become much more than usual.
• □ The color of the discharge has changed to yellow, gray, or green and comes out in lumps.
• □ There is an unpleasant smell like fishy smell.
• □ The vulva is severely itchy or stinging.
• □ The vulva is swollen and has a burning sensation.
• □ There is pain when urinating or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
• □ Vaginitis recurs frequently and does not heal easily even after treatment.
• □ I usually have a lot of stress and feel tired often.
• □ The lower abdomen is cold or hands and feet are cold.

Judgment Criteria:

• If 3 or more apply: These are early signals that can lead to chronic vaginitis. Consider constitutional improvement treatment through consultation with the medical staff at Dalimchae Clinic, a women's health clinic in Songdo.
• If 5 or more apply: The vaginal environment is significantly weakened, and immediate Korean medicine diagnosis and treatment are recommended to prevent worsening of symptoms.

At Dalimchae Clinic, we do not view recurring vaginitis simply as a 'disease' but focus on the 'state of the body' where immunity is lowered and the vaginal environment is easily broken. To this end, we focus on constitutional improvement treatment, which makes the body so that symptoms do not turn back on, rather than just putting out the fire of symptoms.

Our body's immunity and biological defense mechanisms are wonderfully connected. Especially in women's health, the uterus, digestive function, and immunity have a close relationship. In Korean medicine, if the spleen and stomach (脾胃) function weakens, the body's fluid metabolism is not smooth, dampness (濕) accumulates, and this leads to a decrease in immunity, making the body vulnerable to inflammation. This becomes an important cause of chronic vaginitis.

At Dalimchae Clinic, we remove damp-heat in the body and smooth the circulation of qi and blood to create a healthy uterine environment through herbal medicine meticulously prescribed according to individual constitution and symptom patterns. In addition, we boost overall immunity to prevent vaginitis recurrence and help a healthy vaginal environment maintain itself. External treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and sitz baths are effective for local inflammation relief and circulation improvement, and increase the synergy of herbal medicine treatment. Especially, sitz bath therapy is known to be effective in improving vaginitis symptoms.

This constitutional improvement treatment goes beyond just alleviating vaginitis symptoms and helps promote overall women's health by improving other accompanied symptoms such as indigestion, coldness, and menstrual pain that were usually uncomfortable. We hope you regain a healthy and comfortable daily life through fundamental treatment tailored to you at Dalimchae Clinic in Songdo.

Q. How long does it take to treat vaginitis? A. The treatment period for vaginitis varies depending on the individual's constitution, type and chronicity of vaginitis, and accompanied symptoms. Generally, early vaginitis can be improved with 2-4 weeks of treatment, but in cases where it is chronic and frequent, steady treatment and lifestyle improvement for more than 2-3 months are necessary.

Q. Can I combine antibiotic treatment and Korean medicine treatment? A. In the case of early acute vaginitis, symptoms can be quickly alleviated with Western antibiotic treatment. However, if it is chronic recurrent vaginitis, it is good to aim for fundamental immunity and vaginal environment improvement through Korean medicine treatment. In some cases, synergy can be increased by combining Western and Korean medicine treatments, so it is important to decide after sufficient consultation with the medical staff.

Q. Can leukorrhea heal naturally? A. Temporary leukorrhea may improve naturally through recovery of condition or lifestyle improvement. However, if the amount is abnormally large or accompanied by symptoms such as color, smell, or itching, it is important to suspect vaginitis and receive accurate diagnosis and treatment. If left unattended, it can lead to chronic vaginitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or infertility.

Q. I have vaginitis and menstrual pain together. Can they be treated together? A. Yes, it's possible. In Korean medicine, both vaginitis and menstrual pain are linked to the health of the uterus and female reproductive organs and the overall immune balance. In the process of treating the root cause of vaginitis through constitutional improvement, the circulation within the uterus and pelvic cavity is improved, which can also have a positive effect on alleviating menstrual pain.

Itching downstairs and having a lot of discharge is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. Dalimchae Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Clinic. Check your symptoms first with the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website!

Medical Supervision | Songdo branch of Dalimchae Clinic, KMD Oh Hyun-min (Vaginitis Column) based on women's and pregnancy diagnosis.

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