There are a number of simple vaginal odor remedies which can help eliminate this very common problem. Fishy vaginal odor does not normally come in isolation-very often there are other unpleasant accompanying symptoms such as a watery discharge and very uncomfortable itching and burning around the vagina.

I had problems with vaginal odor from my late teenage years onwards. In fact the condition lasted for over 15 years. Of course I didn't have it all the time-there were periods where I would be "normal" but then without warning, it would be back. I developed a kind of coping strategy and knew exactly what to do to ease the itching and burning. Some of the very simple strategies even helped with the smell, although it wasn't until years after that I discovered just what was wrong and what I could do about it.

I guess I could live with the discomfort. It was the embarrassment which bothered me most. It was the kind of smell which you imagined everyone around you noticing-whether they could or not! I turned down dates because of it, avoided various social situations and would spend my life repeatedly washing my vagina, believing that it would help. I would even spray myself "down below" with deodorant to eliminate the fishy vaginal smell. I was forever changing my underwear and would avoid wearing skirts, preferring trousers as they seemed to "trap the smell in" better.

Eventually, I discovered a few ways which helped me to clear up the smell a little, but it was only when I read about a condition called "Bacterial Vaginosis" that I realized that what I had was a recognizable condition-it had a name, and, more importantly treatments. Bacterial vaginosis actually affects over a third of women and for some, can be recurrent problem.

Self help vaginal odor remedies which helped me over the years

* Stick to wearing cotton underwear. Synthetic ones do not allow the vaginal area to "breathe" and can create the ideal conditions of damp and warm which encourage bacterial growth. At the very least, the sweaty atmosphere can be smelly

* Avoid perfumed soaps and deodorants around the vagina. Even though perfumed might temporarily mask the smell, they will make the problem worse by stripping the vaginal of its natural flora which helps maintain healthy conditions

* Change sanitary pads and tampons regularly, even if the flow is light

* Thin panty liners can be a godsend for helping absorb the fishy vaginal smell. They are easy and discreet and great if you cannot change your underwear regularly, or you find that discharge is a particular problem

* If you have recently changed sexual partners, you should use a condom as it sometimes takes your body time to get used to the imbalance of your natural ph levels caused by the sperm of a new partner