What are the dangers of high potassium permanganate concentrations?

In life, everyone is familiar with potassium permanganate. Many people know that potassium permanganate is used for disinfection, and potassium permanganate is also a very strong oxidant. It is relatively good for killing viruses and reducing swelling. However, if the concentration of potassium permanganate is too high, it will cause certain burns to the skin. Therefore, it is generally not recommended to use potassium permanganate for disinfection, especially for people with delicate skin.

Indications: 0.1% aqueous solution is used for flushing ulcers, abscesses, thrush, wounds and disinfection of fruits and other foods. 0.125% aqueous solution is used for flushing the vagina or sitz bath, treating leucorrhea or used for sitz bath, which can effectively treat excessive leucorrhea, hemorrhoids, etc. 0.05% aqueous solution is used for gargling to remove bad breath and disinfect the oral cavity. A 1% aqueous solution is used to wash snake bite wounds. A 0.02% aqueous solution is used to cleanse the stomach and intestines, and a 1% aqueous solution can be used to treat fungal skin infections.

Adverse reactions and precautions: The crystals of this product cannot come into direct contact with the skin. This product should be stored away from light and prepared fresh. It will become ineffective if it turns brown after being left for a long time. It should not be ground with round objects to avoid explosion.

Overdose treatment: Potassium permanganate crystals and high-concentration solutions are corrosive, irritating to tissues or causing the skin to turn black. Oral administration can cause blackening of the mucous membranes, gastric bleeding, and damage to the liver and kidneys. 10g is a lethal dose.

Usage and Dosage: For external use, use 0.1% aqueous solution for washing wound surfaces and cavities, 0.01% to 0.02% aqueous solution for gastric lavage, 0.05% solution for gargling, and 0.125% aqueous solution for washing the vagina and sitz bath.

Potassium permanganate solution is not harmful to cleaning surface wounds or the body's cavities, but it is corrosive. When using it, the proportion of potassium permanganate must be strictly controlled, and potassium permanganate crystals must be prevented from directly contacting the surface of our skin.

What are the harms of frequently cleaning the vulva with potassium permanganate solution?

Some people use potassium permanganate mixed with water to make a purple solution to clean the vulva every day. If there is an infection, purulent lesion or surgical incision in the vulva, it is appropriate to use potassium permanganate solution for a sitz bath. But some people use this solution frequently just to clean the vulva or prevent infection, which is harmful rather than helpful.

Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidant. After washing with this solution, the skin surface is easily dried. Over time, the skin becomes dry and lacks oil, which causes skin itching. If the medication ratio is not mastered well (generally 1/5000), too much medicine is added, or too little water is added, and the liquid concentration is too high, the skin will be corroded and changes similar to burns will occur, such as blisters on the skin and even epidermal ulcers. From this point of view, the abuse of potassium permanganate to wash the vulva will not only fail to play the proper cleaning role, but will add unnecessary pain.

What solution should be used and how should the vulva be cleaned? Normally, you only need to use clean warm water or cold water; if there is a lot of leucorrhea or dirt on the vulva, you can use a small amount of soap or bath gel with low alkalinity to achieve the purpose. It should also be noted that cleaning should only be limited to the vulva, and the vagina should not be cleaned with hands or a towel.