Clinical expert warns Portsmouth women not to ignore these intimate health symptoms during the heatwave
As Portsmouth continues to deal with hot, sticky weather, a clinical expert is warning that some vaginal health symptoms can become easier to dismiss, or easier to make worse, during a heatwave.
Long days in tight summer clothes, sweaty underwear, gym kit, swimwear after a day by the sea, or damp clothes after sitting on the beach can all make irritation, odour and discomfort feel more noticeable. But according to Dr Jordan Barber, Clinical Director at Dr Jordan Barber Acupuncture, those symptoms should not simply be brushed off as “just the heat”.
Most people have had that slightly awkward moment of thinking, “is that normal?” Perhaps something smells different, discharge looks unusual, or there’s irritation that keeps coming back. Then comes the waiting, the late-night Googling, and the decision to see what happens.
But in hot weather, that wait-and-see approach can drag on for too long.
“The body gives signals that something is out of balance, but a lot of people either don’t recognise them or assume they’re just something to put up with,” Barber says. “Some of these things have been going on for years before someone actually mentions it.
“Heat can also make people much more aware of discomfort. If you’re sweating more, wearing tighter clothes, spending time in swimwear or sitting in damp underwear for longer than usual, irritation and odour can feel worse. That doesn’t mean every change is serious, but it does mean persistent symptoms are worth paying attention to.”
Here are the signs he says are worth paying attention to:
A smell that isn’t going away
Vaginal odour shifts throughout the month and most of that is completely unremarkable. But most people know when something smells different from usual, and a lot of them wait several weeks before doing anything about it.
During a heatwave, that change may feel more obvious, especially after sweating, exercising, sitting in tight clothes or spending the day in swimwear. But a smell that persists after washing normally and changing clothes should not be ignored.
“There’s a lot of embarrassment attached to this one, which means people sit on it far longer than they should,” Barber says.
A strong or persistent smell that isn’t shifting – particularly anything with a fishy, sour, musty or unusually metallic quality – is one of the more recognisable signs that something may be out of balance. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common causes, and also one of the most frequently left untreated, but changes in smell can also be linked to yeast infections, STIs, forgotten tampons or irritation from products.
Reaching for scented wipes, sprays or heavily fragranced washes after a hot, sweaty day tends to make things worse. They can disrupt the vaginal pH and usually just keep the cycle going.
Discharge that looks different to normal
Most people have a rough sense of what their discharge normally looks like without really thinking about it much. A change in colour, consistency or volume is worth paying attention to – thick and white with a cottage cheese texture points towards a yeast infection, yellow or green usually means an infection that needs treating, grey is one of the more specific indicators of bacterial vaginosis.
"Discharge is one of the ways the body communicates what's happening internally," Barber says. "A change from your own normal is the thing to notice, not whether it matches some general idea of what's supposed to be there."
During summer, people may notice discharge more because they are wearing lighter clothes, swimwear or tighter outfits, but the same rule applies: if it is different from your normal and does not settle, it is worth checking.
Itching or irritation that keeps coming back
Most people do not rush to a doctor over a bit of irritation, and fair enough. It often settles. The issue is when the same itching or burning keeps returning, because that is when guessing starts to become a problem. Plenty of people treat it as thrush because that is the familiar answer, even when it may not be what is actually going on.
Heatwaves can also make irritation feel worse, especially if you are sitting in sweaty gym kit, damp swimwear or tight synthetic underwear for too long.
The problem is that skin conditions, reactions to products, hormonal changes and different infections can all feel very similar. So if it is not actually thrush, treating it as such again and again is not going to solve much.
“If something keeps coming back, it’s worth getting properly checked rather than going round the same loop,” Barber says. “A lot of people have been doing that for years.”
A feeling of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis
This one tends not to get connected to vaginal health at all. A persistent sensation of fullness or pressure low down – particularly towards the end of the day or after standing for a long time – can be an early sign of pelvic organ prolapse. Most people put it down to tiredness, or just getting older.
During hot weather, when people may be walking more, standing for longer at events or feeling generally more swollen and uncomfortable, that heavy feeling can be easier to notice. It's far more common than most people realise, particularly after childbirth.
"A lot of people have never heard of prolapse or assume it only happens to much older women," Barber says. "But the earlier it gets picked up, the more can be done about it. It's not something to keep filing away for later."
Barber says people do not need to panic over every small change, especially in hot weather when sweat, clothing and routine can all affect how the body feels. But symptoms that are persistent, unusual for you, painful, or keep coming back should be checked rather than repeatedly self-treated.
“If something feels different from your normal and it is not settling, that is enough of a reason to get advice,” he says. “You are not wasting anyone’s time by asking. Vaginal health problems are common, but that does not mean people should just live with them.”