Alternative Medicine Vaginal Steaming Treatment Leaves Woman With Second-Degree Burns

Vaginal steaming is a growing trend among women as a means of empowerment by providing vaginal tightening and to "freshen" the vagina. For the uninitiated vaginal steaming is the process of exposing your vagina to steam to cleanse it and enhance its health, also referred to as v-steaming or yoni steaming. However, it can be dangerous, as a 62-year-old woman has recently learned.

Second-degree burns 

Published online in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada, the full story of the Canadian woman’s mishap was fully detailed in the report. In short, the woman was injured receiving second-degree burns on her genitals after a home vaginal steaming session. The injuries evidently pushed back her scheduled vaginal reconstructive surgery. 

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Now according to Medical News Today, there are a lot of health benefits to the process of vaginal steaming. The treatment is recommended for the treatment of hemorrhoids and the promoting of healing after childbirth. It can even be used for reducing menstrual symptoms, such as bloating, cramps, exhaustion, and heavy bleeding as well as treating headaches and even reducing stress.

Properly tackling the problem

The woman suffered from vaginal prolapse. This occurs when a portion of the vagina falls out of position and can lead to complications that include but are not limited to constipation, pain, and chronic urinary tract infections. To combat vaginal prolapse there are more noninvasive methods to help deal with the issue. Nevertheless, the only proper way to take care of this problem is through surgery.

The problem arose and burns occurred when the woman listened to advice from a traditional Chinese doctor that told the woman that the steam treatment would also help fix her vaginal prolapse. She ended sitting over boiling water 20 minutes a day for two days straight. 

Yet by the second session, she had severely burned herself rushing to the emergency room. Her injuries were a lot worse because of the vaginal prolapse. So, what is the lesson in this? 

Study author Magali Robert, a urogynecologist at the University of Calgary in Canada, wants doctors and clinicians to be aware of the alternative treatments that are out there for women so that they can help patients avoid injury. 

And as for vaginal steaming? These doctors do not believe that it will do anything for vaginal health.