LIVESTRONG.com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. WebIf you have it, you don't want to ignore it, and one of the main symptoms is a foul smell around the period. This is because your vaginal pH gradually becomes more alkaline and your estrogen levels fluctuate, resulting in heavier and irregular periods that can amplify vaginal odors. What Causes Yellow Discharge Before Your Period? This article was medically reviewed by Lauren Demosthenes, MD, OB-GYN, senior medical director at, Cassandra Miasnikov is a writer specializing in positive psychology and women's health. (Also, they're unnecessary, because, remember: Your vagina is a self-cleaning oven.) Apocrine sweat mixes with bacteria on the skin to produce body odor. Dont wash the inside of your vagina. We all know, vaginal discharge accompanies, Read More Fishy Odor No Discharge: 8 Causes, 7 Home remediesContinue, It helps to learn that the combined oral contraceptive is the most common contraceptive used in most parts of the world. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Ugh, well, at least you found it and aren't having any bad repercussions from it. Accessed Feb. 10, 2022. There is no need to use special cleansers or sprays to clean the vagina. Docs want to make sure that something like pelvic inflammatory disease hasn't been overlooked. It was horrific. Several factors can influence the smell of menstrual blood, such as the vaginas pH and the presence of bacteria. A rotten smell can occur when a tampon is left in for too long or forgotten. "During the menstrual cycle, you should use a gentle cleanser without fragrances. You can achieve this by showering daily with non-perfumed and anti-irritation soap etc. I cannot believe that all these posts lead me to do the same thing. I mean this thing looked ancient when I pulled it out. Take care of your vaginas health just like you do for any other part of your body. I'd try that. So after a couple days and a google I found this answer, and the mystery tampon - and am STILL not feeling well, and still dontsmell normal how long till this all gets back to normal?! Here are 3 things the smell of your period blood is - Healthshots Never for one minute did I think I had a retained tampon and yes I've just found it!