Don't Let Embarassing Health Problems Hold You Back

by Emma Barlow | 13 February 2016

Here's our list of the most common embarrassing health problems, and the smart solutions to fix them:

Keep Those Kisses Minty Fresh

Regret choosing that garlic dish at dinner? Keep a good mouthwash handy and help keep breath smelling sweet! Mouthwash helps rinse out food particles from your mouth and helps deter bad breath as it is designed to leave your mouth with a fresh, minty smell.

A survey by GSK's Love Your Mouth campaign revealed 45% of us admit to going to bed without brushing our teeth. So if your date has gone better than expected, make sure to use a daily mouthwash such as Corsodyl's Daily as it helps protect your teeth and gums for up to 12 hours.

Dentist Dr Amit Rai says "There are a number of causes of bad breath, including the consumption of strong flavoured foods, but the main cause is poor oral hygiene. A lack of regular tooth-brushing and cleaning in between your teeth results in residual food becoming trapped. This then gets broken down by bacteria, releasing the unpleasant smelling gas that causes bad breath. Therefore brushing your teeth at least twice a day, cleaning in between your teeth with floss and cleaning your tongue can help to control and avoid bad breath."

Corsodyl® Daily Icy Mint 500 ml Mouthwash (£5.15) Available from Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Waitrose as well as Lloyds Pharmacy

Don't Let Tummy Troubles Kill The Mood

IBS is a condition that affects 1 in 5 of us. It can be uncomfortable, painful and embarrassing and stress can trigger a flare up. Not great for first date nerves!

Helen Bond, consultant dietician and nutritionist, comments "IBS can be an extremely frustrating condition, often leaving sufferers feeling helpless and isolated. But it is possible to take back control through a combination of identifying triggers and effective treatment."

Buscopan IBS Relief is a specialist, antispasmodic treatment that targets the source of the pain. It helps relax spasms to quickly and effectively relieve the pain and discomfort of IBS. Buscopan have also created www.ibs-relief.co.uk containing lots of helpful ressources for people with IBS including IBS friendly recipes, a free downloadable food diary app and helpful tips from other sufferers.

Buscopan IBS Relief (£4.75) Available from pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide.

Don't Let Bloating Stop You Wearing Your Favourite Date Dress.

The last thing you want when you're trying to squeeze in that little black dress is to feel bloated or even gassy. 18% of women said that sex has been ruined as a result of bloating or trapped wind, and only 84% of people think it's unacceptable to break wind in front of your partner.

To help relieve bloating and gas fast and avoid embarrassment on your date, try a treatment such as Maalox Plus, its formula works by neutralising the excess acid and soothing the pain.

Maalox Plus (£3.60 in liquid form or £4.50 for 30 tablets) Available from all high street pharmacies.

Keep In Control Of Those First Date Butterflies

Sometimes nerves can get the best of you and you may experience excessive sweating. A study by Soft & Gentle found that, 45% of women admit they worry about smelly odour and a third is conscious of having sweat patches.

Using 35 years of expert knowledge, Soft & Gentle's Antiperspirant features their hardest ever-working formula providing 48 hour protection while using skin-kind ingredients. The Advanced Body Responsive formula contains an active ingredient which works to control the release of sweat. Working with your body it provides enduring protection throughout your date!

Soft & Gentle's Antiperspirant Deodorant (£1 for a roll on and £1.75 for spray) Available at Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and Asda.

Take Charge Of Your Intimate Health

With everything else there is to worry when it comes to romance, the last thing we need to worry about is that everything downstairs is not as it should be. 1 in 3 women will suffer from BV at some point, but a recent survey by Canestest showed less than half have ever heard of it! The symptoms of BV - an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the vagina that causes itching and smelly discharge - are often confused with thrush, meaning women often seek the wrong treatment.

Dr Roger Henderson comments "As a GP, I know first-hand that some women find talking about intimate health embarrassing and they are confused between BV and thrush, two very common yet very treatable vaginal conditions. It's very beneficial now that in cases where women are not able to visit their GP - whether through feeling awkward or even through a lack of time - that over-the-counter treatment options are available to women to help them diagnose and treat such conditions, themselves in their homes."

Canestest Self-Test for Vaginal Infections is the first clinically proven vaginal self-test that allows women to check for common vaginal infections such as BV and thrush in just ten seconds, with 92% accuracy. No need to suffer in silence! Take the test, and then treat accordingly and you'll be back to yourself in no time.

Canestest Self-Test (£9.99) Available from Boots and all good chemists. For more information visit www.canesten.co.uk