The increase in heat during the summertime often brings pesky infections for women who are prone to them.

You go to the doctor. They test you for (insert infection here – yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, UTI etc.) and prescribe antibiotics.

You get home. You take the full course of medication. To your horror, you are back in the doctor’s office a week or two later with the same infection or maybe even worse!

What if you could address that infection without all the meds?

Why Does My Infection Happen?

In previous blogs I’ve talked about the Spleen. When I discuss these organs they are done as TCM Organs and not just their functions in a Western sense.

As a refresher, the TCM Spleen is responsible for the transportation and transformation of food essences but, in concert with the Lung and Kidney, also governs the body’s water metabolism.

If the fluids aren’t transported appropriately, the body will retain them and dampness will form. You can see that as mucus, swelling in the hands and feet, stringy menses and many other ways.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, infections come from heat in the body. When internal dampness and internal heat combine, we have Damp Heat. 

This Damp Heat diagnosis is the pattern used to address bacterial and yeast overgrowth and infection, difficult or painful urination and vaginal discharge with unpleasant odor.

Bacteria thrive in damp hot conditions so chronic Damp Heat will lead to yeast overgrowth and bacterial infections. Your internal environment could be prone to heat for a lot of reasons, but the addition of heat from your external environment is the perfect “storm” for bacteria to thrive.

Why Does My Infection Come Back?

One devastating effect of using antibiotics for the treatment of these kinds of infections is that it kills all the good flora as well as the bad.

Your vaginal ecology is an extension of your gut health. If you treat the infection with internal antibiotics you kill all the good flora that will “protect the kingdom” from infection as well as the bad that are creating problems for you.

When the kingdom is left unguarded, there are no defenses left to keep the bad “guys” from returning. There are no “good guys” left to repopulate your vaginal ecology.

This is why, a week or two later, you are back to your doctor with so much yeast you could bake bread. For any of you who have had this happen, you know what I’m talking about. It’s miserable.

What Can I Do About It?

Herbal allies are really incredible for dealing with these kinds of issues. There are many antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-viral herbs that can be used to address these kinds of infections without destroying your delicate flora balance.

One very successful way to address infection is with pelvic steaming.

Yes, steam when administered under the supervision of a certified practitioner really can end your infection cycle.

There is a common misunderstanding that pelvic steaming (also known as vaginal steaming or yoni steaming) will cause infection.

When done properly with a certified peristeam hydrotherapist, it has the opposite effect.

Steaming For Infections

It is both the application as well as the herbs themselves that make pelvic steaming so effective for infections.

Pelvic steam users report a decrease in infections with many breaking their cycle of experience with them using this modality.

Drain Mucus

For starters, you are dealing with a DAMP infection. Think about when you have a cold and your head is just stuffed with mucus. 

What do you do? You stand in the shower so the hot water and steam can help it drain.

Pelvic steaming works much the same way. The steam thins the mucus that is holding that bacteria and helps it drain to the outside so it’s no longer creating issues for you. 

Some women see an increase in discharge when they start steaming for an infection so they believe it is making the problem worse. The reality is the problematic mucus is draining just like your nose in the shower. The cold was there, you are draining the symptom of that cold – the mucus. It is the same when you steam during an infection.

Location, Location, Location

Where you are steaming also matters. There are two powerful acupuncture points on your perineum. One of these two points drains dampness in the body. 

It helps your body to release excess moisture that it is holding on to to help break the cycle of too much moisture accumulating in your body to create the right conditions for the infection in the first place.

Herbal Allies

The modality in itself is a heavy hitter for addressing infections, but don’t forget the herbs!

Using a combination of herbs that clear heat and drain dampness, you are effectively addressing the root of what is causing the infection in the first place.

The right combination of herbs for your infection and your body should be determined by a certified peristeam hydrotherapist.

Simple, Safe and Effective

Pelvic steaming is a simple, safe and effective means of dealing with infections. 

It addresses the “why” it is happening in the first place, as well as the infection you are currently experiencing.

Infections are delicate so this is not something to DIY at home. For best results, you will need to work with a certified peristeam hydrotherapist who is well versed in infections.

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