Patient's question:
Can the vulva be washed with salt water for itching? Does washing with salt water have an anti-inflammatory effect?Doctor's answer:
Cleaning the external genital area with a weak saline solution still has some antibacterial effects, as long as it's not used to rinse the vaginal canal. However, when vaginitis occurs and you want to use weak saline to relieve itching and reduce inflammation, the effect is not significant. Moreover, inflammation leads to purulent discharge, and if the pathogenic bacteria are not killed promptly, the symptoms of external genital itching will persist. It's also not advisable to use medication on your own, especially to excessively use antibiotics, as this can enhance the drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria, easily worsening the condition and delaying treatment.