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Midwife Warns The Cold Weather Can Cause 'Winter Vagina'

Midwife Warns The Cold Weather Can Cause 'Winter Vagina'

The dry autumn air and and chilly winter weather can really cause havoc to our bodies

Rachael Grealish

Rachael Grealish

We're officially heading into the wintery season and if the rubbish weather, short days and coughs and cold flying about the place wasn't bad enough, now a midwife is warning women about something called 'winter vagina' and, sorry ladies, but it's not good news.

PA

Mary Burke, a former NHS midwife and senior clinical nurse at the London Bridge Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Clinic reveals the reasons why this happens, so gather 'round because I know you're all dying to know.

She told The Sun: "Dry autumn and winter air depletes moisture from our bodies, leaving our skin dehydrated and cracked, and our sinuses parched.

"And while it's an issue few will want to discuss openly, our vaginas can enter 'drought mode' during this time, too.

"When we spend a lot of time in air-conditioned rooms, or with the heating on, we're living in air which carries very little moisture."

The bad news is that, vaginal dryness can seriously impact sex lives, but the good news is that there's ways to treat it.

credit: PA
credit: PA

The NHS website recommends trying self-help options first, before turning to a GP. They say purchasing items such as lubricant or specialised vaginal moisturiser can help, but if these are fruitless it's worth seeing a doctor just to make sure everything is OK.

Midwife Mary Burke says women who make simple lifestyle changes, like eating your greens, avoiding harsh soaps and buying a humidifier, can also help.

This news comes shortly after heatwaves during our sunny seasons were said to cause 'summer penis'.

Some men took to social media over the summer to query about possible effects the changes in the weather could have on their members.

"Anybody notices size fluctuation during the year?" wrote one guy on the subtly titled 'Big Dick Problems' forum on Reddit.

"I know mine is bigger, I have better erections in the summer and I also tend more to of a shower instead of a grower. In the winter, it is the exact contrary. Why is that? More heat= Better blood-flow? Does that happen to you guys also?"

Well, ask a stupid question and...in this case, get something approximating a scientific answer.

"There's a reason people don't take honeymoons to the North Pole," The Ultimate Guide to Male Sexual Health author, Dr Dudley Danoff, told the Daily Mail.

"The non-erect penis is so variable in size from day to night, that it's probably more of an optical illusion than real if we're talking about flaccid.

"But there is an anatomical and physiological explanation for the summer months, and warmer weather versus, say, the Klondike.

PA

"The warmer the ambient environment, the more the blood vessels dilate, and the warmth allowing vasodilation increases blood flow."

Dr Jamin Brahmbhatt, however, disagreed.

"Summer or winter, your penis size should remain the same," he told MEL magazine.

"When it's cold outside, your body does try to maintain its internal heat, and therefore things may appear to be more contracted.

"When it's cold outside, blood vessels near the skin contract to maintain the internal heat. However, this type of body heat regulation should not affect the overall size of your penis.

"When it's hot outside, your body does try to evaporate the heat through sweat.

"Also when it's hot outside, you may take in more water, which may in combination with the sweating make it appear like your body or skin is bloated. And that may give you the perception that things are larger."

So it doesn't actually grow, it just gives the appearance of growing - sorry about that.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, News