Vaginitis is a minor problem, but once you get it, it can be very troublesome. However, I often compare it to “the flu”, and careful prevention can prevent most vaginitis, and once infected, there is nothing to fear. The theory of Chinese medicine is that “if the righteousness exists inside, the evil cannot dry up”, and that the occurrence of any disease is due to both internal and external causes. The internal causes are not easy to avoid, but can be changed. For example, age is a problem. Young girls are prone to vaginitis because of their poorly developed vulva and vaginal resistance to infection; incorrect cleaning habits are also a cause. I have seen very clean mothers who require their daughters to wash their vulva after every urination, and it is this mother’s cleanliness that makes her daughter suffer from “vaginitis” at a young age! Older women are more prone to vaginitis because their ovarian function decreases and their vaginal mucosa becomes thinner due to a decrease in estrogen levels. Obese women are also prone to vaginitis because of their high vaginal secretions and poor local ventilation. External causes “external causes” can be avoided. Most vaginitis is the result of pathogenic infections. For example, vulvovaginal pseudomonal yeast disease is a Candida infection, trichomonas vaginitis is a trichomonas infection, and contact with unreliable sexual partners leads to the spread of STDs. A history of poor sex life includes early onset of sex; multiple partners, etc. Poor hygiene habits such as frequent vaginal irrigation may lead to the spread of vaginal inflammation and in severe cases cause pelvic inflammatory disease. Environment is also an external cause of vaginitis. For example, wearing non-breathable clothes and pants in humid and hot weather can induce vulvovaginal pseudomonal yeast disease; some unreliable quality sanitary napkins can lead to allergic symptoms.